Ajay Bahl confirms Arjun Kapoor-Bhumi Pednekar starrer The Ladykiller released theatrically ‘incomplete’, retracts statement

In a statement to Tried&Refused Productions podcast, Ajay Bahl confirmed that the movie was released theatrically despite being “incomplete” and said it is “no surprise” that people have found it “choppy and disjointed.”

“To confirm, yes the movie is incomplete. 30 pages of the 117 page screenplay were never shot. A huge number of connecting scenes, Arjun and Bhumi’s entire romance, Bhumi’s dependence on alcohol, Ajrun’s sense of being trapped and losing everything and having to run from town, his sense of total despair, all these psychological beats are missing. So yes, it’s no surprise that the film feels choppy and disjointed and one finds it hard to connect with the characters,” a part of his statement read.

The filmmaker, however, also denied claims that he had problems working with Arjun and Bhumi and said the film was “extremely painful to shoot” but the “problem lied somewhere else.”

“As a director, it was extremely painful to shoot The Ladykiller, but absolutely not because of the actors. Arjun and Bhumi were sheer joy to work with. They gave their heart and soul to the film. The problem lied elsewhere but that is another story,” he added.

Within 24-hours, however, Ajay Bahl retracted his statement about The Ladykiller hitting theatres despite being unfinished and said his “humour and sarcasm” was misinterpreted, stating that the project was indeed a “complete film”.

In a statement, the director said, “It’s a humorous take on a baseless rumour circulating about the film’s completion status. I understand that humour and sarcasm can sometimes be misinterpreted. I want to emphasize that “Ladykiller” is a complete film which has been released for the audiences and I am immensely proud of this project. I am grateful for the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in bringing this film to fruition.”