Exclusive: Here the reasons why Tubelight failed to live up to the hype

Salman’s big Id release, Tubelight, has been panned, and here are some reasons why it just didn’t click.

Because it’s Id and bhai fans wanted to see a happy film, which Tubelight is not. The movie is about people who’ve lost. Every major character in the movie has lost something, or someone. And, it looks like the distributors will be the biggest losers.

Because it has quite a Bajrangi Bhaijaan hangover. Salman protects the traditional enemy — a Chinese boy — from harm. Earlier, it was a Pakistani girl, and audience connected to that better.

Because bhaijaan gets roughed up once too often. In a sequence, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub slaps him repeatedly. One could hear Salman fans muttering, and some even leaving the theatre.

Because there’s no romantic interest. Not even with the pretty Chinese actress Zhu Zhu being publicised as Salman’s leading lady.

Because Salman and his real-life brother Sohail get very little time together. One would expect some solid screen time being occupied by the two brothers. Here they sing a song together and then Sohail goes away to fight the war, while Salman is left behind to fight his own battles.

Sadly, for a film so gentle in tone and with music in its soul, not one song remains with the audiences after the film. Sajan Radio too doesn’t really hark back to the era of the radio.

Because Salman sheds too many tears. His character, Laxman Bist, cries at the drop of the hat in the movie.