Anupam Kher is basking in the success of his recent release Karthikeya 2. The Nikhil Siddhartha-starrer was released on August 13. After a positive word of mouth, the film, which is a Telugu original, got more shows in the North Indian belt and has since collected Rs 18 crore and counting for the Hindi version alone. Not only has it become a sleeper hit, but Karthikeya 2 has also managed to outshine Bollywood biggies Laal Singh Chaddha, starring Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar's Raksha Bandhan, both of which were released on a far bigger scale and amid much-more publicity.
Now, in an exclusive interview with India TV, Anupam Kher, who plays the role of a blind man in Karthikeya 2, has opened up about the success of his second hit this year after The Kashmir Files. The veteran Bollywood actor, who has featured in more than 500 films in his career so far, also spoke candidly on the boycott culture on social media that many believe is the driving force behind Bollywood films failing at the box office. Kher said that audience has the right to make up their minds about not wanting to watch certain content and the filmmakers and actors should focus more on the subject of films and less on "crying over the boycott culture."
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Kher commented, "The Kashmir Files was boycotted too. Many renowned critics said it should not be watched. The same thing happened with The Accidental Prime Minister. We did not cry over it. Content is very important. Nikhil (Siddhartha) is not known in the Hindi belt but I have seen people whistling in cinema halls after watching Karthikeya 2. We like to coin new terms like 'boycott culture'. A movie critic has the power to tell people to watch a film or not. But that does not mean the audience will actually not watch it. The audience has the power to make or break anyone."
Watch Anupam Kher's full interview with India TV here.
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