Shoojit Sircar: 'Shoebite' comes up at each meeting with Mr Bachchan

With Shoebite ready since 2009, director Sircar laments how Bachchan-starrer has been in limbo as it awaits NOCs from LA collaborators; says open to OTT release

Shoojit Sircar has added another rich film to his résumé with Sardar Udham. While the filmmaker has given the audience diverse offerings — some light-hearted, others melancholic — in the past, he is saddened that Shoebite has yet to see the light of day. The film, headlined by Amitabh Bachchan, has been stuck in the cans since 2009.

Explaining the reason for the inordinate delay, Sircar says, “There were issues regarding the rights between the different partners [on the] film — Disney, Fox [Star Studios], some writers and collaborators in Los Angeles. Their NOCs and permissions are required.” Shoebite is apparently based on Manoj Night Shyamalan’s story, Labour of Love. In 1994, Shyamalan was said to have sold the rights to 20th Century Fox Studios. Years later, it was picked up by UTV. However, later, the Hollywood filmmaker and Fox reportedly asked UTV to not release the film until he made the screen adaptation of the story in the US.

Shoojit Sircar. Pic/AFP

The director breaks it down further, “Earlier, [Shoebite’s rights] were with UTV; now, they rest with Disney [the parent company of Fox and erstwhile UTV]. But the last time Disney officials spoke to us, they said the Hollywood partners were wondering whether the Hindi movie should be released.” He elaborates that the concern stemmed from the fact that Shoebite was originally supposed to be an English offering.

On social media, Bachchan often expresses how he wants the film — also featuring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sarika — to reach his fans. “Shoebite comes up at each meeting with Mr Bachchan. He puts his heart and soul into every movie, but this one is special. Whenever I talk about the film, it makes me sad. There was a child in the cast who has now become a young woman,” emphasises the director, before adding, “Only post-production work is left on the project. Disney and Fox should do something about its release.”

Is he open to an OTT premiere, should the matter be resolved? “At this moment, I am so deep into the film that any form of release is okay by me — whatever the [producers] want. I just want Shoebite to be released.”

Also read: Shoojit Sircar teams up with Irrfan Khan's son Babil for a secret project

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