The biggest flop of 2023 releases on YouTube without any clamour

Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar came together for the first time in Ajay Bahl's
The Lady Killer.
Released in 2023, the film was reportedly made on a budget of around
₹45 crore.
However, its box-office performance was disastrous, with reports claiming that
the film earned less than ₹1 lakh worldwide.

The film has now made its way to OTT, but its digital release comes with another
surprising twist. Instead of a traditional paid streaming premiere,
The Lady Killer is available to watch
for free on YouTube.

One of the major reasons behind the film's poor visibility was its limited
theatrical release. The audience barely heard about the film as it received
little to no promotional campaign and was released on only a limited number of
screens.

The film also became the subject of controversy surrounding its production.
There were reports that The Lady Killer
was released in an incomplete form, with its climax allegedly never being
filmed.

The shooting of the film began in
April 2022. Reports suggested that the ₹45-crore production went over
budget during filming. A re-shoot was subsequently considered, but producer
Shailesh R Singh later cancelled the planned re-shoot.

The makers released the trailer on
October 29, followed by the theatrical release on
November 3.
However, the film arrived in select theatres across the country with virtually
no promotional campaign.

Some media reports suggested that the theatrical release was pushed through
quickly because the film's digital rights had already been sold. The makers
reportedly needed the theatrical release to meet the deadline associated with
its OTT deal, which was said to run until the end of December.