Exclusive: Befikre and now Meri Pyaari Bindu, Yash Raj Films losing its sheen?

First Befikre, now Meri Pyaari Bindu… India’s most illustrious film producers Yash Raj Films seem to have lost its sheen.

The last really outstanding film produced by Adi Chopra was debutant director Sharat Katariya’s Dum Laga Ke Haisha. Then came the detective dud Byomkesh Bakshi, which nearly wiped out director Dibakar Bannerjee’s career.

Followed Fan in 2016, featuring SRK who has given the maximum number of hits for the Yash Raj banner with its helmer Yash Chopra and then his son Aditya Chopra. Fan, directed by Maneesh Sharma was another major disappointment from Yash Raj and one of the lowest earners in SRK’s career.

Last year Aditya Chopra returned to direction for the first time since Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, with Befikre, a smutty, raunchy Parisian lust-tale featuring Ranveer Singh with Vani Kapoor. Befikre was as embarrassing a makeover for Aditya as Main Prem Hoon for Sooraj Barjatya.

Akshay Roy, who makes his debut with Meri Pyari Bindu would be remembered in the illustrious history of Yash Raj films for having delivered the slowest earner for the banner. The film opened at approximately '1.75 crores on Friday, which makes it the lowest ever opening for Yash Raj film.

You can blame it on Baahubali. But there is more to this fall of Yash Raj. Where have all the talented actors and directors gone? It seems YRF now only has Salman Khan to salvage its reputation from further doom. Last year, he rescued the banner from going into the dread zone with Sultan. Now this year, he will return Yash Raj to form with Tiger Zinda Hai. Apart from Salman, Yash Raj only has a Dhoom spoof called Bank Chor coming up for release. And that, even the staunchest supporters of the banner would agree, is quite a climb down for the once-thriving banner.