'Box Office Let Us Down'

'The learning will be long term and if anything unlearn everything from this and start afresh.'

Vasan Bala defends his film Jigra against Divya Khossla's accusation that it is a copy of her jailbreak film, Savi and tells Subhash K Jha, "Both films are out. They are in the public domain. Please watch and make up your own minds. Also free speech, so everyone is entitled and has the right to say what they want even without watching both films. Can't stop any of that."

Vasan also says that Jigra's box office clash with Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video was not a mistake.

"Films will be clashing with elections, natural calamities, unforeseen incidents, IPL, World Cups etc. One can't be scared of the circumstances all the time. There are only so many clean release dates and there will never be a clean solo release for any film. Having said that, I am not an expert on distribution and exhibition practices.

"It's a film made with faith and convention. I didn't make a project and put in pieces that would fit existing sensibilities and box office sentiments. The learning will be long term and if anything unlearn everything from this and start afresh."

Vasan admits that he did not expect Jigra to underperform so much.

"The box office has let us down," he says.

"As a director, if 100 percent faith is put on me on every department of the creatives, then box office also needs to be taken care of by me. In that department, it's clearly a letdown on my front."