Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani, known for his work on films like Batla House and D-Day, recently spoke about the release of his latest film Vedaa, starring John Abraham and Sharvari. Despite being proud of the film's quality, Advani admitted that it was overwhelmed by the release of Stree 2 during the same period. Released on August 15, Vedaa faced a tough competition with the horror comedy Stree 2 starring Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor, as well as Akshay Kumar's Khel Khel Mein.
In a recent interview, Advani humorously said, "Vedaa released on August 15 and it hit us out, it gobbled us up. Four days later, somebody asked, ‘What I could’ve changed about Vedaa? I said, ‘I could’ve just changed that Stree 2 was not a good film’." Despite the box-office clash, Advani emphasized that he had made a good film, one that tells a compelling story, and he has no regrets about the film's quality.
However, Advani acknowledged the shift in audience preferences after the pandemic, explaining, "Post lockdown and pandemic, the audience wants to be free, they want to enjoy freely." He explained that Stree 2 provided the kind of escapism that light-hearted films offer, which worked in its favor at the box office.
Vedaa, with its focus on Dalit atrocities and rights, has been praised for its impactful storytelling, especially in its second half, which features intense action. Despite its box-office struggles, it has earned ₹26.75 crore, while Stree 2 made nearly ₹600 crore in India. Advani reflected on the experience, acknowledging that the timing of the release, coinciding with a popular horror-comedy like Stree 2, wasn't the best decision.
In summary, while Vedaa didn't perform as expected at the box office, Advani remains proud of the film's message and storytelling, even though it was outshined by the commercial success of Stree 2.
