01 June,2026 03:44 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Still from LIK
More than a month after the release of the Tamil film LIK, director Vignesh Shivan has reflected on the film's poor performance. Starring Pradeep Ranganathan and Krithi Shetty in the lead roles, the film's failure at the box office has been difficult for the filmmaker to process. Recently, he took to social media to pen a note about how many people told him they were discouraged from watching the film in theatres because of the negativity surrounding it online. The filmmaker attributed the film's poor performance, in part, to negative reviews.
Vignesh took to his Instagram Stories and shared screenshots of messages he received in his DMs. "Many people have messaged me saying they missed the film in theatres because of the overwhelming negativity they saw online," the filmmaker wrote.
He further stated, "Some films survive negative reviews; others don't. For films that lack support from their ecosystem, industry peers, or influential voices, public perception can completely change their fate. Reviews written to showcase intelligence or superiority often do more than critique a film, they can discourage audiences from giving it a chance and crush the dreams of ambitious filmmakers."
He said that he is yet to come to terms with LIK's box office result.
"What hurts most is how quickly the narrative shifted after a promising opening weekend. I genuinely feel that an earnest Tamil film that tried to be different, complete, and original deserved a little more generosity from its audience. What many don't see is the struggle behind bringing a film like this to life. Making it was difficult, releasing it was even harder, and after overcoming those challenges, seeing it end this way is painful," he added.
"However, he noted that cinema is full of great films that were not embraced when they first arrived, and that thought offers him some comfort.
He concluded by sharing advice from a celebrated director:
"Oru padathoda vetri, adhukkulla irukkuradha vida, veliya dhaan adhigama irukku."
(The success of a film is often determined more by what surrounds it than by what exists within it.)"
