Arjun Kapoor says we need to rejig how we measure a film’s success amid pandemic

The COVID-19 global pandemic, amongst other things, has also affected the Indian cinema.

Talking about the impact that COVID-19 has had on Bollywood, Arjun Kapoor stressed on the need for reevaluating the scenario and focusing on content instead of numbers.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, the 2 States actor said: “Eventually they (box office numbers) will matter. It’s a business, so you’d like to have an understanding of what numbers are coming in, so we make film of certain caliber.”

“But do I believe that from April and May we will see the same numbers as War (2019) saw before Covid? I don’t think so. It will take a little bit of time,” he went on to say.

“Today, we’re in a new environment amid the pandemic and we’ll have to rejig our expectations and our understanding. So, rather than looking at the first day or second day, you look at the totality of the film. You look at the overall perspective; six to eight weeks after the run is over, you kind of understand how the audiences reacted to the material,” he continued.

“It’s a good reality check for us because we’re too caught up with numbers. I don’t think actors, beyond a point, can engage in numbers because they’re very subjective.”

“An actor can do an X amount of business in the right sort of film, and he can do an X amount in a wrong film. But that shouldn’t change the fact that he should be allowed to do what he wants to do,” he added.