Puri Jagannadh’s Slumdog 33 Temple Road, starring Vijay Sethupathi, has finished shooting, but it has no release date in sight. The film is caught in a serious financial mess, and the root of the problem lies in Puri’s last two films.
Liger and Double iSmart Losses
Liger and Double iSmart both failed badly at the box office. Puri Jagannadh was not only the director of both films but also one of their producers, so the responsibility for compensating the distributors falls on him.
Those losses are still unsettled, and that has now become the biggest hurdle for his next film.
Why Slumdog Can’t Find a Release
The distributors who lost money on Liger and Double iSmart expect to recover those losses from Puri’s next film. To clear the existing dues, Slumdog would almost have to be given to them for free, without any fresh money coming in. No producer can afford to release a film on those terms.
On top of that, the film has not closed any non-theatrical deals. There are no digital, satellite or music rights deals to fall back on, so right now there is no business for the film at all.
A Film With Big Promise
That is unfortunate, because Slumdog 33 Temple Road has plenty going for it. Vijay Sethupathi plays a blind beggar who turns vigilante, and the teaser drew attention for his gritty look. Tabu and Samyuktha Menon play key roles, with Duniya Vijay, Brahmaji and VTV Ganesh also in the cast. Harshavardhan Rameshwar has composed the music.
Puri Jagannadh announced the completion of shooting on October 17, and the film is planned as a pan-India release in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam. Charmme Kaur presents the film under Puri Connects, along with JB Motion Pictures.
A Tough Balancing Act
Puri now has to deal with three sets of numbers at once: the losses from Liger, the losses from Double iSmart, and the budget of Slumdog itself. Finding a way to settle the old dues and still get the new film into theatres is going to be a huge task.
