‘Sarbjit’ Slips at the Box-Office, Where Does that Leave Aishwarya

How does the performance of ‘Sarbjit’ affect Aishwarya Rai Bachchan?

There was a lot of money and hope riding on Omung Kumar’s Sarbjit. Like the two big hits of the year so far - Airlift and Neerja, this Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-starrer was based on a real life story, had some patriotic moments and had the former Miss World toplining the project. But if the box-office collections of the film over the weekend are anything to go by, this Sarabjit Singh biopic has fared below expectations and will struggle to keep afloat during the week.

Sarbjit’s 3-day collections are as follows:

• Friday: 3.69 cr
• Saturday: 4.56 cr
• Sunday: 5.71 cr

At a total of Rs 13.96 cr, the earnings of Sarbjit are even below Aishwarya’s comeback film last year, Jazbaa, which had a 15.24 cr weekend collection in India.

As the reviews started trickling in, it was clear that Sarbjit was no Neerja or Airlift. ‘Disjointed’, ‘dishonest’, ‘manipulative’ are some of the terms that critics used to describe the film. Aishwarya was said to be ‘woefully miscast’, ‘loud’ and ‘shrill’ - all of this must have contributed to the film’s less than impressive performance at ticket windows.

But career wise, Sarbjit is a more important film for Aishwarya than Jazbaa would have been. If the film which is based on a real life story, with a pan-Indian emotional appeal and overt patriotic elements had worked, it would have probably extended Aishwarya’s box-office power by a decade. Look at how Neerja completely wiped out years of ‘bad actress’ and ‘privileged star kid’ taunts right off Sonam’s record.

Unfortunately, over the years, most of Aishwarya Rai’s films, which placed her right at the centre of the narrative, such as Raavan, Umrao Jaan, Provoked, Mistress of Spices, Bride & Prejudice, Shabd, Choker Bali failed to work commercially.

The actress is still most remembered for her outing as Nandini in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), as Paro in Devdas (2002) and as Jodha in Jodha Akbar (2008). The former Miss World is more discussed for her appearances on the red carpet than for her roles on the big screen and Sarbjit could have changed that. It could have been that one big film that would have silenced her critics who label her as just a pretty face who’s been given more chances to prove her mettle as an actress than she deserves.

Add to it the fact that, Bollywood and the desi audience has been less than fair to its leading ladies, more so if they are over 30 and married with kid(s). Why else would the trade be more excited about Priyanka Chopra still, rather than her more successful contemporary – Kareena Kapoor or the more talented powerhouse – Vidya Balan.

Yes, the relationship status of the heroine still makes a difference and Aishwarya inevitably has been at the receiving end of Bollywood’s sexism too.

To Aishwarya’s credit, she’s dealt with Bollywood’s sexist norms gracefully, kept the meatier roles coming and wowed her fans and followers alike with her red carpet appearances for over a decade. What’s missing is the ability to choose the film with that X factor, which can put her back in the reckoning.

For now, all eyes are on Karan Johar’s next, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. With Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on board, both of whom desperately need a hit, we hope the title of this film works in reverse as far as its success at the box-office goes.