Sikandar actress Shreya Gupto reacts to trolls, how negativity affected Salman Khan film: 'Jinko zyada kaam nahi hai..' | Exclusive

Salman Khan, Rashmika Mandanna-starrer Sikandar opened to mixed responses and the box office performance isn't encouraging as well. Amid the dull phase of AR Murugadoss' directorial at the box office, actress Shreya Gupto defends the film and explains how trolls have wrongly influenced layman moviegoers. 

In her debut movie- Sikandar, Shreya plays a doctor in Dharavi who works closely with Salman to transform Asia's biggest slum. Days after the movie's release, Shreya joins DNA India for an exclusive interaction, sharing the response she witnessed while watching the movie and the fake narrative that has directly hampered the film. Shreya admits watching Sikandar twice in Mumbai's Gaiety Galaxy, and adds, "Maine toh Gaiety mein dekhi and mujhe toh response crazy laga (I saw it at Gaiety and the response was crazy). I wanted to see this film in Salman Khan-flavoured theatre, and it was fantastic. Honestly, for me, it was a very big deal to be a part of such a Bollywood film. I'm blessed to have this experience, of working with the biggest names. Just standing beside Salman Khan was a very surreal experience." 

Shreya knows the mixed-to-negative response Sikandar received, and she defends it saying, "On Instagram I've seen people walking out of the theatre, calling the movie 'bakwas', but that was for Salman's Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. So these fake reels influence laymen, and they might change their mind." Shreya adds that quick access to film through OTT has further dented the public's interest in watching movies in cinema halls. "Waise bhi log theatre aane mein itna aalas dikhate hai (people are lazy in coming to the theatre), for obvious reasons of expensive tickets, pop-corn prices are too much. Aur 1.5 month mein movie waise bhi OTT pe aa jayegi, toh might as well skip it. So all these factors do affect the film."

Shreya Gupto

Shreya even shares her opinion on trolls enjoying pulling down Sikandar, mocking its dull collection at the box office. She says, "Jinko zyada kaam nahi hai na woh randomly hatred faila rahe hai (Those who don't have much work are randomly spreading hatred). People who're not even following my work, or my social media, come up and write 'Hey congratulations, but movie toh aisi thi-waisi thi'. Na aap mujhe follow karte ho, na content dekhte ho. Aapko kya hai? Why are you spending 1-minute of your life to comment negatively on a profile? I guess unemployment dikh rahi hai." 

Shreya even defends the low box office collection of Sikandar, and asserts, "Bhai ke fans are loyal, they have supported the film. Baki rahi baat sahi-galat ki, Laapataa Ladie kitne logo ne dekhi? I've seen Superboys of Malegaon in an empty cinema hall. I watch Soham Shah's Crazxy with 2 more people in the hall. So having said that, it's a very different time right now, and OTT has of course hampered the craze for theatres." Sikandar is running in cinemas near you.