Actress Prachi Desai says the reason behind
Azhar's lackluster performance at the box office was that people
couldn't forgive former Indian cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin, who was
implicated in a march-fixing scandal in 2000.
"Azhar", which starred Emraan Hashmi in
the titular role, was a biopic of the former Indian captain. Prachi
played his first wife.
Post the 2000 scandal, BCCI banned the cricketer for life. In 2012,
however, the Andhra Pradesh High Court lifted the ban, describing it
"unsustainable".
"There are things which are beyond our control. You should make peace
with it. I feel people were a bit unforgiving towards Azhar, despite
the court giving him a clean chit in the matter," Prachi told PTI.
The 27-year-old actress feels people had their own judgment about Azharuddin which hurt the movie.
"For a lot of people, cricket is huge. They used to watch and follow
him but something fell apart when the controversy happened. Some people
took it to their heart.
"Some couldn't watch the film for what it is without their personal
views and attachments. They decided before watching the film that they
knew the story."
The "Rock On" actress, however, is happy that her performance was appreciated in the film.
"The feedback I got was very positive. Playing a real life character
was tough and I am happy my role was appreciated by the audience."
The Tony D'Souza-directed movie is now ready for its television
premiere on Sony Max on August 14 and Prachi is excited about it as she
believes the film will reach a larger audience through the small screen.
"People should watch this on TV. It has a huge reach, not only in the country but every part of the world."
