Exclusive: No takers for Indian release of The Lunchbox director's second film?

Where is the eagerly awaited follow-up film to Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox? Batra, who achieved more international acclaim for The Lunchbox than any other Indian filmmaker since Satyajit Ray, was gung-ho about the Indian release of The Sense Of An Ending. The film was originally scheduled to release in India on March 24. Batra had said then, “It is being brought to India by PVR. I must say it’s good that they are backing my film. It is an English-language film and I didn’t expect it would get such an easy release in India. But I am happy to say there are lots of Julian Barnes fans in India and some people who are looking forward to seeing what I’ve done after The Lunchbox.”

Turns out things aren’t as smooth as Batra expected them to be. Sources suggest that it is because the interest around the film may have waned. Repeated attempts to get PVR, the film’s distributors, to shed light on the film led to no clarity. Says a source, “PVR is no longer interested in releasing Ritesh Batra’s The Sense Of An Ending. It is seen as too British for Indian tastes, even if a globally acclaimed Indian director has directed it. Aesthetic and critically acclaimed Hollywood films don’t do well in India. The Oscar-winning Moonlight was a flop in India. With The Fast & The Furious 8 and Baahubali 2 ruling the boxoffice this summer season, PVR is not interested in investing money in a brooding introspective British film about an autumnal hero’s introspection.”