Filmmakers often tell their publicists, let's generate publicity/create controversy to hype the film. Prakash Jha, however, would never utter this sentence again, after it killed the business prospects of his film, 'Aarakshan'.

The publicity/controversy 'Aarakshan' generated prior to its release has only harmed the business prospects of the film. Currently, the producers/distributors of 'Aarakshan' would stand to lose at least Rs 5 crores. While the ban on the film in certain areas has contributed to this loss, there has been another fallout point too. Let's face it, moviegoers -- especially the family audiences -- are skeptical to watch a film which leads to widespread political campaigns and has cops stationed outside theatres. And this was a film that could have earned a lot! 'Aarakshan' was released on a 4-day weekend, with the added holidays of Rakshabandhan and Independence Day for moviegoers. Had it not been for the noise created by the politicians, it would've easily collected Rs 35 cr + nett in its 4-day weekend.

This isn't the first time this kind of hype has killed a film! There have been many films before 'Aarakshan' which were banned or not allowed to be released. Did this stop people who wanted to watch them? No. The audience can watch those films on pirated DVDs or even download it on their PC/laptop from various sites, sitting anywhere across the globe. The loss a filmmaker/distributor undergoes in such a scenario is incalculable. Talking of 'Aarakshan' the fate of the film now depends on how it fares on weekdays. Also, the film needs to perform in its second weekend as well, if it has to sail smoothly at the box-office