'Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan' director unfazed by mixed response to the film

Mumbai: Ayushmann Khurrana’s latest release “Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan”, a same-sex love story, has done a moderate business at the box office, but director Hitesh Kewalaya is happy with the response.

As per reports, the film, which is the second installment in the “Shubh Mangal Saavdhan” series, has grossed Rs 58.94 crores since its release on February 21.

“The love and support that I have got from the audience and the reviews, are great. I don’t think I need to analyze what is being liked and not liked.

“As this is a constant process of comparison between how much the first one made and how much the next one is earning. I need to focus on what I want to say,” Hitesh told PTI on the sidelines of the “The Content Hub 2020” event.

The film features Ayushmann and actor Jitendra Kumar as a homosexual couple, struggling to make the family accept their relationship.

Also starring Gajraj Rao, Neena Gupta, Maanvi Gagroo, Manu Rishi and Sunita Rajwar, the film is the sequel to the 2017 “Shubh Mangal Saavdhan”, which reportedly did a business of over Rs 64 crore.

The topic of discussion at “The Content Hub 2020” was ‘Role of writers and directors in developing the magic script’.

Hitesh believes the audience has evolved and it pushes not only the makers but also the actors to create out-of-the-box content.

“Audience is evolving with every content that they are watching be it films or on OTT. They are open and they want to see different stuff. And that’s a motivation for writers, directors, actors, and producers to try different things. This is very heartening to see. It only helps in making better films,” he added.