Sonnalli Seygall On ‘Jai Mummy Di’ Bombing At The Box-Office: I Remember I Cried For 2 Days Straight, Didn’t Step Out, Buried My Face In A Pillow

Talking to Prateek Sur, Sonnalli Seygall opens up about why her recent OTT release ‘Aseq’ wasn’t promoted too much, how the box-office failure of her last big-ticket film ‘Jai Mummy Di’ affected her, her film ‘Boondi Raita’ getting stalled for over 3 years, and lots more. Excerpts:

We recently saw you in ‘Aseq’. Even though your character was appreciated a lot, ‘Aseq’ wasn’t promoted that much, and not many people knew about it. It was only after people started watching it that the word spread about it. Why were there such minimal promotions? Were you unhappy that the makers didn’t put that much effort into promoting the project?

My work was appreciated, and I am thankful for that. Whoever saw the film, loved it, and it has gotten quite a few numbers on Jio Cinema. But yes, there were no promotions, and it was a format Jio was following. They had been releasing films and a lot of interesting content. That’s something that the marketing and promotion team decides, and they know best to be honest. Sonam’s film was released a week after mine and Rakul’s film was released 3 weeks before. These are all female-backed films and also Shahid’s film earlier that month. And there weren’t any promotions happening for any of the films and that’s the best way they deemed fit. So, I did not get frustrated. It is what it is. I still hope more people watch it and what’s important for me is that my work gets appreciated.

You were also going to come up with another film with Himanshu right, ‘Boondi Raita’. The posters and all were launched, but then nothing else was heard of the film. What happened?

Basically, the posters were launched and then Covid-19 happened. We finally started shooting for the film last year and it’s complete now. I just completed the dubbing. It’s called ‘Aryabhatta Ka Zero’ now, not ‘Boondi Raita’ anymore. It’s going to release this year and the producers are on it. I recently saw the film’s first cut and I am really excited for the film.

Your last solo big-budget film was ‘Jai Mummy Di’. Despite it being promoted really well, and getting decent reviews also, the film didn’t work. I’m sure you must have been disappointed. But tell me, when you face such big failures, does that affect the kind of scripts coming your way? Are you not getting that big-budget or well-promoted projects now?

Yes, ‘Jai Mummy Di’ didn’t fare the way we wanted it to. Even though the lockdown happened sort of right after it, so a lot of people saw it on OTT, but it didn’t do the kind of theatrical business we would have ideally wanted. It was upsetting and disheartening. I remember I cried for 2 days straight, didn’t step out, and buried my face in the pillow. But 2 days later, I was back like a champ and I feel that much of a heartbreak is allowed and it’s okay to feel such emotions. I am not going to run away and say I wasn’t affected. I was very affected and I had a lot of banking on that film. I had given a lot to it and it was my first solo big-budget film. The songs were doing well and they brought me a lot of shows. So, it was disheartening but that’s our industry and that’s life, so it’s okay. I am still waiting and I know it’s going to happen. Now, the market and the industry have also changed. Content is king, it always was, but now I feel people are acknowledging it. I have 4 releases this year, all different. Some are with big production houses, some with small and I am just striving to do better. I am just doing good work and the rest is up to the audience and the industry, which one takes off, and which doesn’t. May they all take off.

In today’s times when OTT has become a big thing and many actors who are probably not getting enough attention from the mainstream filmmakers, are shifting to OTT, and are getting to play some amazing characters in some fantastic shows. With Aseq doing well, are you also now focusing more on getting good projects on OTT where you can showcase your talent?

No, it’s not like that since Aseq has done well I will shift my focus to OTT. I have never worked like that, I have always worked on doing good and different parts from whatever comes my way. Out of all the things I have done this year, one is anyway a web series, and three are films. Out of which I don’t know which will go to theatres and which will choose OTT. So, I just keep on striving to do good work and the medium doesn’t matter. Honestly, for me, it is of the least importance.

Post-marriage, do you think there would be a time when you may have to slow down in terms of your professional career?

No, not at all. It’s not even a conversation, to be honest, and work is pretty much the same. If anything, it is booming. I am reading and am being narrated more scripts. In fact, I signed a movie right after my marriage and started shooting. So, it’s not at all slowing down. If anything, it’s blooming more.