Producer
Anand
Pandit,
who
is
gearing
up
for
the
release
of
Chehre,
recently
got
candid
with
Filmibeat
about
the
upcoming
film
and
why
he
choose
to
opt
for
a
theatrical
release.
Chehre
starring
Emraan
Hashmi
and
Amitabh
Bachchan
also
stars
Rhea
Chakraborty.
Talking
about
her
involvement
in
the
film,
Pandit
told
us,
"I
am
sure
there
is
a
level
of
interest
among
people
to
come
and
watch
her
on
the
big
screen.
People
who
haven't
seen
her
in
her
previous
projects
might
also
come
to
watch
her
film."
Anand
Pandit,
known
for
backing
films
like
Pyaar
ka
Punchanama
2,
Baazaar,
Total
Dhamaal,
PM
Narendra
Modi,
Satyameva
Jayate,
The
Big
Bull
and
more,
opened
up
about
what
to
expect
in
the
second
half
of
2021,
as
theatres
slowly
reopen
in
the
country.
"I
expect
that
the
Maharashtra
government
will
also
soon
reopen
theatres
with
the
appropriate
protocol.
People
will
slowly
start
returning
to
cinema
halls,
but...it
might
take
some
time
for
us
to
get
back
on
track,"
he
told
Filmibeat.
Here
are
excerpts
from
the
interview:
As
theatrical
releases
have
seen
delays
for
more
than
a
year
now,
fans
are
eagerly
waiting
for
the
cinema
theatre's
comeback.
When
do
you
think
Chehre
will
see
a
theatrical
release?
This
is
an
unprecedented
situation
where
everyone
knows
what
the
issue
is
(COVID-19
pandemic)
and
that
is
why
we
thought
we
want
to
give
Chehre
to
cinema
lovers
instead
of
releasing
it
on
the
OTT
(over-the-top)
platform.
We
will
wait
for
cinema
halls
to
reopen.
We
also
understand
where
the
government
is
coming
from.
We
endorse
their
view
and
want
to
make
sure
that
the
cinema-goers
are
safe
and
sound.
Now
that
the
cases
are
going
down
and
the
vaccination
drives
are
in
full
swing,
the
audience
also
wants
to
go
back
out.
It's
been
over
a
year
since
everyone
is
confined
to
their
homes
and
I
am
sure
if
and
when
the
government
allows
the
reopening
of
theatres,
people
will
return
to
watch
movies
on
the
big
screen.
You
have
spent
more
than
usual
time
on
the
release
of
Chehre.
Is
there
any
special
connection
with
the
story?
Could
you
share
any
unforgettable
memories
from
the
film's
sets?
Almost
every
day,
new
memories
were
getting
created.
We
shot
here
on
a
lavish
set
in
Mumbai
and
Gurugram.
We
also
had
an
outdoor
shoot
in
Slovakia,
Europe
at
-17
degrees
with
Emraan
Hashmi
and
Amitabh
Bachchan.
We
recently
shot
with
Mr
Bachchan
again
in
Mumbai
for
the
title
track.
We
had
a
lot
of
fun
on
set.
There
are
so
many
memories,
I
can
write
a
book
about
it.
I
am
really
thinking
about
it.
Some
of
your
projects
like
Abhishek
Bachchan's
The
Big
Bull
opted
for
an
OTT
release.
Is
there
a
special
reason
you
chose
to
wait
and
release
Chehre
theatrically,
instead
of
opting
for
an
OTT
release?
I
wanted
to
make
a
psychological
thriller
with
Mr
Bachchan
and
was
looking
at
stories
but
could
not
find
the
right
one.
Ultimately,
Mr
Bachchan
informed
me
that
he
had
green-lit
one
story
and
the
director,
Rumy
Jaffery.
So,
I
jumped
on
the
chance
and
found
out
that
it
was
the
kind
of
story
that
I
wanted
to
make.
The
project
turned
out
to
be
a
dream
come
true.
Even
after
theatres
re-open,
what
kind
of
films
would
you
consider
for
OTT
release
in
future?
I
think
OTT
has
become
a
parallel
business
of
films.
It
presents
more
edgy
content
and
has
its
own
requirement.
Keeping
that
in
mind,
we
are
looking
into
stories
and
projects
that
would
work
better
on
OTT.
For
theatres,
we
are
looking
at
projects
that
will
bring
a
more
cinematic
experience
to
the
audience.
Both
are
different
and
we
are
working
at
it
separately.
We
are
making
sure
to
look
at
projects
if
they
can
go
on
OTT
or
will
work
better
in
theatres.
Chehre
will
mark
Rhea
Chakraborty's
return
to
the
big
screen
after
being
in
the
headlines
for
several
reasons
in
2020.
How
do
you
think
the
audience
will
react
to
her
involvement
in
the
film?
I
think
the
controversy
you
are
talking
about
is
in
her
personal
life,
and
I
believe
it
has
completely
died
down
now.
She
has
been
through
hell
in
the
past
few
months
and
I
am
sure
there
is
a
level
of
interest
among
people
to
come
and
watch
her
on
the
big
screen.
People
who
haven't
seen
her
in
her
previous
projects
might
also
come
to
watch
her
film.
Chehre
has
a
strong
star
cast,
an
intriguing
storyline,
and
a
bit
of
a
controversy
around
it.
Are
you
still
worried
that
COVID-19
might
impact
the
footfalls
of
the
theatre
audience?
I
am
not
at
all
worried
about
it,
but
what
you
said
is
correct.
Limited
people
might
come,
but
people
want
to
go
out
now
and
I
am
sure
people
who
are
vaccinated
will
definitely
come
to
watch
the
movie.
The
audience
is
bored
of
sitting
at
home
and
watching
movies
on
the
television.
I
am
very
confident
that
people
will
come.
While
the
industry
was
worried
that
OTT
might
take
over
the
film
industry,
after
almost
two
years
of
a
hiatus,
the
audience
is
waiting
for
theatres
to
re-open.
How
do
you
think
that
will
fare
for
the
box
office?
Would
you
consider
it
as
a
long-term
boom
or
short-term
indulgence
on
the
part
of
cinema
fans?
I
don't
see
the
industry
suffering
-
I
think
it
would
become
bigger.
Talented
artistes,
be
it
actors,
directors
or
writers,
earlier
they
were
not
accepted
easily
in
the
cinema
theatre
by
the
audience
but
with
OTT
they
have
a
fair
chance
to
show
their
hard
work
and
talent.
I
think
the
industry
will
now
have
a
clear
emergence
of
such
talented
artistes
and
the
audience
will
easily
accept
them.
Currently,
there
are
preparations
going
on
to
avoid
the
third
wave
of
COVID-19.
How
is
the
entertainment
industry
coping
with
it?
Nobody
knows
when
the
third
wave
will
come
but
irrespective
of
which
number
of
wave
it
is,
I
think
everyone
has
to
be
careful
for
the
next
six
months.
The
COVID-19
safety
protocols
should
be
followed
strictly.
One
cannot
be
overconfident
and
should
take
care
of
themselves.
After
a
dull
first
half
of
2021,
how
do
you
think
the
industry
will
perform
in
the
second
half
of
the
year?
The
Delhi
government
is
getting
ready
to
reopen
theatres
and
I
expect
that
the
Maharashtra
government
will
also
soon
reopen
theatres
with
the
appropriate
protocol.
People
will
slowly
start
returning
to
cinema
halls
but
what
you
are
saying
is
correct
-
it
might
take
some
time
for
us
to
get
back
on
track.