Upon its OTT premiere, 'Dil Bechara' garnered 95 million views in 24 hours, with media estimating a Rs 2000 crore opening based on average ticket pricing.
Sushant Singh Rajput passed away on June 14, 2020. I'm sure you remember how we all felt—there was sadness, and outrage against the industry, and for months, everyone was talking about him and only him. 'Dil Bechara', his last film before his death, had already faced multiple delays due to post-production work. With the COVID-19 pandemic raging on, it was assumed that the film would be postponed further for a theatrical release. But out of nowhere, the makers decided to drop it soon directly on OTT—since theatrical release was no longer an option. On July 24 that year, just a little over a month after his death, the film was released on Disney+ Hotstar and raked in massive viewership numbers almost instantly. You probably already understand where I'm going with this. And this isn’t just speculation. Watching the film on its release day, I could clearly sense that the post-production had been rushed—the editing felt abrupt at several points, the color grading was too uniform throughout, and the narrative heavily focused on Rajput’s character leaving the world. It felt like the film was intentionally capitalizing on the tragedy of his death. Naturally, the film became a massive success. But now comes the question—would it have touched as many hearts had Sushant been alive?
Today, on his fifth death anniversary, let’s try to explore that. Just keep in mind that this is an analysis—with all due respect to the late actor, and also the makers.
When it was first announced that Sushant Singh Rajput would be playing the lead in the Hindi adaptation of 'The Fault in Our Stars', the reaction wasn’t all cheers and claps. In fact, if you scroll back to old social media posts and forums from that time, you’ll find a wave of criticism. Many people—especially fans of the original English film—weren’t happy. They questioned the casting, trolled Rajput, and some flat-out said he wasn’t fit for the role.
But this wasn’t the first time something like this happened. Heath Ledger too faced backlash when he was cast as the Joker in 'The Dark Knight'. People couldn’t imagine the guy from 'Brokeback Mountain' playing the menacing DC villain. But as Ledger passed away before the film’s release, everything changed. His performance, although it was outstanding, was seen with grief in mind.
Now Sushant’s performance in 'Dil Bechara' is decent but not really among his best. But after the film’s release following his death, the same people who had trolled him before were all praising his performance. Social media was literally flooded with emotional tributes, tearful reviews, and exaggerated praise. It wasn’t a film anymore—it was a goodbye. And in goodbyes, people often choose emotion over honesty.
'Dil Bechara' felt like Sushant Singh Rajput’s final goodbye. We were still mourning his sudden death, and hence emotions were running high. Watching him play a terminally ill character so soon after his real-life passing created a strange, painful overlap.
The story itself is about loss, but it became deeply personal because we had already lost him. Every time his character spoke about death or said goodbye, it felt real. It felt like Sushant was talking to us, not as Manny, but as himself. That emotional undercurrent pulled people in and made the experience overwhelming.
Being a fan of Sushant, I cried through most of the film. But when I reflected on it later, I realized my tears weren’t for the character—they were for the actor. The film or the character didn’t hit me as much as Sushant’s presence did.
(Credit: Sony Music India)
We were grieving, and that collective grief turned the film into a tribute, making it far more powerful than it might have been otherwise.
Disney+ Hotstar did something unusual with 'Dil Bechara'—they made it free for everyone. You didn’t need a subscription. And without a doubt, that wouldn’t have happened if Sushant Singh Rajput were still alive. More than a film release, it became a way to say, “This one’s for him.” More people watched the film because it was free.
(Credit: Star Studios)
Again, there's no disrespect intended—I miss Sushant, and I believe his death was a huge loss for the film industry. But honestly speaking, 'Dil Bechara' got the kind of praise that should’ve gone to his best work, 'Sonchiriya', which most people skipped. Some of his finest performances went unnoticed when he was alive. But after his death, 'Dil Bechara' became a blockbuster. It's not really fair.
