Abhishek Chaubey Says ‘Sonchiriya’ Would Be Impossible to Make or Release Today

Released in 2019, the film "Sonchiriya" directed by Abhishek Chaubey depicted the realities of a remote region. Even if the film received great acclaim, it failed at the box office. Now, talking about his film, the director Chaubey said, "If this film had been made in present times, it would have never been made."

In a recent interview with Screen, Abhishek said, "There was a time when actors took risks to portray the reality of a character. If 'Sonchiriya' had been made today, it would have been difficult to both produce and release." Now, there aren't even enough audiences who appreciate these kinds of films." It's worth noting that Sushant Singh Rajput played the lead role in this film.

Further in the interview, Abhishek said, "If we were to make this film today, we wouldn't even find actors. 'Sonchiriya' is the last film from an era when audiences were hungry for such films. Fifteen to twenty years ago, people flocked to see films grounded in reality. There were opportunities for filmmakers back then. Today, 'Sonchiriya' can't be released the way the director wants."

The film's co-writer, Sudip Sharma, said, "Today, no one would even give ten rupees to make this film. Even if funds were somehow raised and this film was made, audiences wouldn't even come to the cinema halls to see it."

"Sonchiriya," a movie directed by Abhishek Chaubey, features late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar, Ashutosh Rana, and Manoj Bajpayee in the lead roles. The movie is based on the Chambal dacoits and is set in the year 1975. The budget of the movie is ₹30 crore (30 crore), and at the point of release, it collected just ₹8.5 crore (85 million) at the box office, although it is a cult classic now.