Has Shahid Kapoor taken a pay cut of Rs. 31 crore for Jersey to avoid OTT release?

Shahid Kapoor’s Jersey, which was scheduled to hit the cinemas on December 31, has been postponed. In view of this, the actor has proposed to take a fee cut from his Rs 31 crore fee and urged the makers not to release the film on OTT.A source told Bollywood Hungama, “After the rising Covid cases, the team of Jersey had got a prior intimation that Delhi cinema halls might be shut soon. Hence, they had multiple meetings on the future course of action for the film, since their entire marketing campaign had rolled out and there was not much left to even promote. They had discussion with their digital partner, Netflix, who agreed to pay a premium price for a direct to digital premiere on December 31. The offer was lucrative and the producers were of course inclined to that. They were almost sure to give the film to Netflix for a premiere since these are uncertain times and Covid will delay the film by at least 1 to 2 months, adding on to the cost and also reducing the hype around the film. The producers felt, instead of a hike in budget, it's better to let the viewers experience Jersey on OTT. That's when the hero, Shahid Kapoor stepped in.”

However, a report in E-Times claims that the news is far from truth. “There is no truth to this rumour about Shahid Kapoor taking a pay cut. Anyone can say anything, but the only fact is that the film has been postponed for now.” When asked about the OTT rumour, the source added, “Shahid is keen that this film releases in theatres, hence there is less chance of ‘Jersey’ skipping a theatrical release.”Recently during an interview with ETimes, Shahid Kapoor was asked if he had taken inspiration from any specific cricketer for his role in 'Jersey’ and he shared, “I have seen a lot of cricket as I am a huge cricket buff. You cannot be as good as a professional cricketer playing at international level, you can't get there. The idea was just to get the personality of a cricketer in my character. The story of 'Jersey' is being told with a lot of emotion. That's why the people would like to see this film, else they would like to see a match. The film is an in-depth drama which gives you an understanding of what can go on inside a sportsperson.” Jersey is the Hindi remake of a Telugu film of the same title. Directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, it is about a cricket enthusiast whose dreams of pursuing a career in cricket are fulfilled in his 40s due to his son. Jersey is produced by Allu Entertainment, Dil Raju Production, Sithara Entertainments and Brat Films.