Shocking Ramesh Sippy Film Shimla Mirch Goes Straight to OTT

While producers  RSVP’s  colourful  musical  extravaganza Bhangra Paa Le was wrongly  being reported  as going to the streaming platform, it is being  released on January 3 in theatres across India, another  talked-about film  is not quite that lucky on the same  Friday.

Unknown to  anyone associated  with  the  film the producers  Viacom 18 have decided  to release  Ramesh Sippy’s Shimla Mirch, Sippy’s first directorial  venture in 24 years, on Netflix.

Neither  the director nor  the  principal  members   of  the cast Hema Malini and Rajkummar Rao  were taken into confidence on the release platform.

 A source  close to Ramesh Sippy says the  veteran director  of Sholay is mighty miffed .  “Viacom 18 has taken the decision(to  release Shimla Mirch on the  digital platform) on their own. Rameshji had no say  in the matter. He made the  film in 2014  at a  meager budget of 16-17 crores. It was  mean to be a small sweet romantic film set in Shimla. Rameshji handed  over the film to the producers  in 2015. Just why they sat on it for  4 years and why they’ve decided to  not give it a theatrical release is not explained.  It isn’t as  if smalltown romances don’t work in theatres. Viacom themselves have released several such films.  Recent films  like Lukka Chuppi and  Pati Patni Aur Wohhave done well. Them why this stepmotherly treatment to  Shimla Mirch?”

A true gentleman, Ramesh Sippy has decided to stay quiet on  the matter.All he will say is, “I am very proud  of Shimla Mirch, and I’m glad it’s finally being released. The platform and format of release  is the producers’ decision.”