Did you know makers changed the climax of Crakk for OTT?
Vtanked at the box office when it was released in theatres in February this year. Now that the film has dropped on OTT, viewers have noticed something very unusual. The makers changed the climax scene of the film for the web release.
An entire 15-minute chunk, including an unforeseen twist, has been chopped off. This has led to not only a reduced runtime but also a change in the film’s ending from the theatrical version.
‘WAS A MUTUAL DECISION’
Director Aditya Datt asserts that the team collectively made the call to chop the climax, considering the Crakk’s poor box office performance. “We all sat together and re-analysed the film’s performance to make it sharper. It doesn’t happen with all films, but you can narrate movies in different formats across platforms,” explains Datt.
‘VIEWERS DON’T WANT EXTRA MASALA’
In fact, Abbas Sayyed, coproducer of the film, says he was never in favour of the longer version, and it was a “creative call” to tweak the ending for digital release. “[Now] the film ends when Vidyut and (actor) Arjun Rampal’s fight finishes. Even in the theatrical version, we didn’t want the additional parts of Vidyut jumping from the flight and the song. The audience doesn’t want extra masala for no reason.”
‘ADDRESSED VIEWER’S RESPONSE’
Ask if the runtime of the film was a major point of discussion during the second edit, and Datt says it didn’t matter because no set formula can justify a film’s runtime. “We often see that a 1.5hour film doesn’t work, while a three-hour-long movie clicks with the audience, like Animal (2023) did. The idea behind sharpening Crakk was purely to address the response from viewers that the film was slow. And when the audience doesn’t connect, you do feel disappointed. You want to reanalyse so you do better next time,” he states.