Alia Bhatt’s Jigra could get ‘whole different kind of reception’ if it was released on OTT, says Taapsee Pannu's Gandhari director Devashish Makhija

Taapsee Pannu's Gandhari director Devashish Makhija recently shared his two cents on Alia Bhatt’s Jigra. He opined that the film could’ve had a different reception if it was released digitally.

By Krishma Sharma

Updated on Mar 25, 2025 | 09:48 PM IST | 5.2K

Pic Courtesy: Kanika Dhillon and Alia Bhatt Instagram

After proving his mettle in independent filmmaking, Devashish Makhija is set to enter mainstream filmmaking with Taapsee Pannu’s Gandhari. Just a few days ago, the team announced the shoot wrap-up through a social media post. In a recent conversation, the filmmaker shared his views, believing that Alia Bhatt’s Jigra could have performed better if it had been released digitally.

Taapsee Pannu’s Gandhari will be director Devashish Makhija’s first woman-led film since his 2017 film, Ajji. When asked about his return to a similar space after eight years, the director stated that women-led films are not commonly made in the industry anymore.

"No one’s making women-led films anymore. Even Alia (Bhatt) had to step in and produce it herself for it to get made. So for Taapsee to headline a film and get it made as a Netflix original is a bit of a miracle. I don’t see any other female star in Mumbai pulling that off," he said.

The filmmaker was further asked whether getting such films a theatrical release would be an even greater challenge. In response, he cited the example of Alia Bhatt’s Jigra to explain why it might not have resonated with the public.

"Like Jigra. My humble opinion is that if it had come straight to streaming, it could have received a completely different kind of reception. Theaters are brutal. And that slightly patriarchal mindset of watching a larger-than-life man as the savior hasn’t left us," he added.

He further noted how Kanika Dhillon and Taapsee Pannu have created stories that can be "very loosely termed" as feminist. Nonetheless, with Jigra, he believed that it portrayed a strong female character saving men, rather than the other way around.

On a concluding note, he said, "So I don’t know how that would go down with a theatre audience. I think it’s a good bet that it’s coming straight to streaming."

Speaking of Gandhari, the upcoming action thriller features Taapsee Pannu and Ishwak Singh in the lead roles. While the film's release date is yet to be announced, it will premiere on Netflix. It is produced and written by Kanika Dhillon, who is also known for the Haseen Dillruba franchise.