Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar's The Lady Killer meets a not so satisfying 'end', here's why

    The film was released just on papers as part of contractual obligation to major OTT platforms as per reports.

    The Lady Killer

    Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar’s The Lady Killer has been embroiled in mystery owing to its unexpected theatrical release today, i.e. November 3, 2023. The film had a handful of shows in selected cities and mere two screenings in Delhi. Even the film’s lead actors skipped promoting the films as they were reportedly miffed with production. The film was released just on paper as part of a contractual obligation to major OTT platforms as per reports.

    According to the source, the film was dead meat even before its release as it was incomplete due to budget constraints. T-series had provided the entire budget that was required but the discrepancies in the accounting showed up which led to funds drying up. There was no money left to finish the film. The source further added that not only director Ajay Bahl but actors Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar had not been paid. By the time, the director arranged the funds, the dates booked with the actors were gone as a result the film was left incomplete.

    The insiders have revealed that the production team delved deep into the editing room and employed meticulous techniques to piece together the available footage into a coherent narrative. "The OTT players are giving lucrative monies to producers. Now the contracts are signed and to get the money, the film has to be released on the big screen. The idea is to be smart on the edit by adding relevant voiceovers for missing portions and release the film to book the revenue," the source told Bollywood Hungama. Well, The Lady Killer has made history by being the only Indian film to be released incompletely and only on paper.

    Meanwhile, The Lady Killer is a suspense drama thriller which follows the whirlwind romance of small-town playboy (Arjun Kapoor) and a self-destructive beauty(Bhumi Pednekar). The film opened to largely negative critical reviews.