Kanikka Kapur, who was recently seen in Batwara 1947 alongside Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta and Shabana Azmi, has opened up about the film’s performance at the box officeIn an exclusive interview with India.com, the actress admitted that the film did not perform as well as the team had hoped, but said she is choosing to focus on the opportunities the project has brought her wayBatwara 1947 featured a strong ensemble cast and dealt with the Partition of IndiaWhile the film did not achieve the expected box-office response, Kanikka said the experience has been personally positive for her.
“I think the initial response for me has been, I mean, the film did not do as well as we all hoped it wouldBut I am sure, I think a lot of it depends on also your luck and what is trending at that timeA lot of things, a lot of factors that we can’t even put a finger on,” she told India.com.
Kanikka Kapur says Batwara 1947 opened doors for her
According to Kanikka, the response to her performance has been encouragingShe revealed that she began receiving calls for auditions even before the film released, after the trailer came out“But the response for me has been really well, and in fact, movie release se pehle, when the trailer had released, I started getting calls for auditions and the scripts that probably, when I joined the industry, the kind of work that I wanted to do, I started getting calls for those kind of auditions,” she said.
The actress added that her approach towards choosing scripts has not changed despite the film’s performance“So for me it has been really niceAnd how I look at scripts, I think I have always, aisa nahi hai ki kuch change ho gayaI’ve always looked at scripts the same way,” Kanikka said.
Kanikka Kapur recalls Preity Zinta applauding her screen test
Kanikka also opened up about one of her most memorable moments from the making of Batwara 1947. She recalled her final screen test for the film, which took place on the set while Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta were also presentShe was performing an emotional scene with Karan, with Rajkumar Santoshi directing the screen testAfter she completed the scene, Kanikka recalled seeing Preity stand up and applaud her. “I remember, like they were all sitting and watching, and then I saw Preeti ma’am, like stand up and clap, and then after that everyone else also stood up and clapped for me,” she recalled.
For Kanikka, the moment became much bigger than simply receiving praise after an audition“Toh wo hota hai na ki kuch-kuch moments hote hain jin ke liye… you know, when you’re standing like, this is like what to live forSo it was one of those moments for me and it will always stay with me,” she said.
Kanikka Kapur on Batwara 1947’s box office failure
We asked whether she considers Batwara 1947 a failure because of its box-office performance, Kanikka said she prefers to look at everything the project gave her. “Yes, I mean, I agreeLike we all give a hundred percent, and honestly for me, now because, like, aisa bhi ho chuka hai mere saath that I’ve shot for something, given my hundred percent, and that project has not even come out, you know? So this is so much better than that,” she said.
The actress stressed that the film’s release itself was important to her and her family. “Like you have to, like, you should look at the positivesI’m so glad that I got this opportunityWe all gave a hundred percentThis movie came outIt was very important for my family, especially my grandparents, to see this filmThey all saw itThey’re proud of me,” Kanikka said.
She also revealed that the film has already resulted in new opportunities for her. “I am getting a lot of opportunities because of this projectSo I am very, very grateful,” she added.
Kanikka also pointed out that a film’s box-office journey can be unpredictableReferring to Hanuman Ansh, she said that the way a film performs can change expectations, particularly when its initial release is limited. “Of course, ab wo luck pe depend karta haiLike, you know, like HanumanNow it’s doing so well, you know? Aur wo shuru mein aayi thi, I think it released in 25 screensSo all, like, you never know how it could turn,” she said.