Premium

‘OTT platform backed out of their deal after watching 12th Fail, claimed they didn’t have money,’ says Vidhu Vinod Chopra

During a recent session at IFFI, filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra opened up about the suggestions he recieved before the release of 12th Fail.

3 min readGoa (panjim)Nov 22, 2025 04:04 PM IST

Vidhu Vinod Chopra talks about 12th Fail. (Photo: YouTube/SCREEN)

Vidhu Vinod Chopra was once known for films like Parinda and 1942 A Love Story but to the current generation, he became known as the man who brought the story of 12th Fail to the screen. Starring Vikrant Massey in the lead role, the film won two National Film Awards recently. At the recently held masterclass at at the 56th International Film Festival of India, Goa, Chopra shared that an OTT platform actually backed out from their deal with him after they watched the film, and made an excuse saying they did not have the funds.

During his session with writer Abhijat Joshi, titled ‘Unscripted – The Art And Emotion of Filmmaking’, Vidhu opened up about his film 12th Fail. He revealed that the Vikrant Massey starrer didn’t get an OTT deal because of the platform’s ‘low funds’. He also shared that many people, including his wife Anupama Chopra, asked him not to release the movie in theatres. During the conversation, Vidhu said, “When I made 12th Fail, everyone said that it won’t even work for a day. Even my wife, who knows a lot about cinema, told me not to release it at the theatres, no one will go to watch your and Vikrant’s film there. I told her that we made it with love, people will definitely go. The movie was at the big screen for 7 months, despite being on TV and digital.”

ALSO READ: Karan Johar was told to leave the country if he wanted to find love, believes humans are ‘meant to be a unit of two’: ‘Rab ne jodi nahi banayi’

Without revealing the platform’s name, the filmmaker shared that an OTT platform actually came up with an excuse saying they don’t have the funds to take the film. “I had a deal with an OTT company, I won’t name them, they saw the film and said that they don’t have funds. Can you imagine? They actually said that to me. I told them that maybe they didn’t understand the film. One person even said, ‘Aise log toh hain hi nahi sir ab (Such people don’t exist now)’, subtly meaning how such honesty has vanished. I said, ‘I don’t know if there are more such people or not, but you can see atleast one sitting right here!”

Vidhu also shared that during the shoot of the film, in the scene where Vikrant’s character goes back to his village and finds out that his grandmother has passed away, there was a lot of emotional tension. “Nothing was planned, everything was impromptu. We held the longest shot for four minutes and then seconds. If we had said cut, the emotion of that scene would have diminished. Everyone asked how we didn’t cut for that long,” he concluded.

Besides Vikrant Massey, 12th Fail also starred Medha Shankr in a pivotal role.

Navya Kharbanda

Navya Kharbanda is an Entertainment Journalist and Cinematic Commentator at The Indian Express, where she specializes in bridging the gap between classic Bollywood heritage and contemporary Gen-Z perspectives. Her work is characterized by a blend of nostalgia-driven analysis and on-the-ground reporting from major film festivals and industry events. Experience & Professional Background Navya is a prominent voice on The Indian Express entertainment desk, known for her ability to secure candid interviews with both legendary veterans and rising stars. Her career highlights include: The Indian Express: Covers a wide range of topics from high-stakes box office analysis to in-depth celebrity profiles. She is a regular at major events like the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). SCREEN Interviews: Navya has conducted a series of "exclusive conversations" for SCREEN, featuring industry stalwarts like Anupam Kher, Vishal Bhardwaj, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and Suhasini Maniratnam. Archival Reporting: She is noted for her sensitive handling of archival interviews and retrospectives, recently covering the legacy of late superstar Dharmendra and the career reflections of the late Satish Shah. Expertise & Focus Areas Navya’s beat is uniquely defined by her "Gen-Z Revisit" series, where she re-evaluates cult classics through a modern lens. Her core areas of expertise include: Cinematic Retrospectives: Analyzing 80s and 90s landmarks like Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, and Mohabbatein to explore how themes of romance and rebellion resonate with today’s youth. Industry Insights: Tracking the career resurgences of actors (e.g., Akshaye Khanna) and the evolving dynamics of film production and distribution in the OTT era. On-Set Dynamics: Reporting on behind-the-scenes stories from major productions, ranging from the technical challenges of Mirzapur: The Film to the work ethics of superstars like Shah Rukh Khan. South Indian Cinema: Expanding her coverage to include the impact of regional icons and the rise of pan-Indian fantasy epics like Magadheera. Authoritativeness & Trust Navya Kharbanda has established her authority by consistently providing "Journalism of Courage" in the entertainment sphere. Whether she is interrogating the sexism in patriarchal classics or reporting on the fair-pay debates at international film festivals, her work prioritizes factual accuracy and critical objectivity. Her ability to synthesize deep industry history with modern audience trends makes her a trusted source for readers seeking both entertainment news and thoughtful cultural commentary. ... Read More

Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.