Vishnu Vishal-starrer Lal Salaam, which featured Rajinikanth in an extended cameo, turned out to be a box office failure. After the film’s disappointing theatrical run, its planned OTT release on Netflix also ran into trouble, eventually leading to it being quietly released on Sun NXT. Now, Vishnu has opened up about the film’s failure and revealed that he even apologised to Netflix over it.
Vishnu Vishal apologised to Netflix
Speaking to Rednool, he said, “Lal Salaam didn’t work in theatres or on OTT. I apologised to Netflix. They asked, ‘Why are you worrying?’ I said, ‘I should take ownership. I’ll come back.’ They told me, ‘It’s not your film. They tried to do business with Superstar Rajinikanth, and Rajinikanth is in the film for one hour.’ I said, ‘It’s still my film. How can it go wrong?’ OTT platforms like this kind of ownership.”
Lal Salaam’s box office failure
Lal Salaam was directed by Aishwarya Rajinikanth and produced by Subaskaran Allirajah’s Lyca Productions, with music by AR Rahman. The film was first released in theatres in 2024, but it received a mixed response from critics and audiences. Made on a reported budget of ₹80–90 crore, the film earned ₹17.74 crore in India and around ₹31.25 crore worldwide. It is reported that the film’s failure caused financial strain for Lyca Productions.
Why didn’t Lal Salaam release on Netflix?
As per reports, Netflix had acquired the post-theatrical streaming rights to the film before its release. However, its OTT premiere was repeatedly delayed after Aishwarya Rajinikanth revealed that a hard disk containing key footage had gone missing, affecting the planned extended director’s cut meant for streaming. Eventually, the film was quietly released on Sun NXT in June 2025 and never made its way to Netflix.
Vishnu Vishal’s next project
Vishnu Vishal will next be seen in Gatta Kusthi 2. Directed by Chella Ayyavu, the film serves as the highly anticipated sequel to the 2022 hit. Vishnu Vishal and Aishwarya Lekshmi will return as the lead pair, Veera and Keerthi. Cast members Karunas, Kali Venkat, Munishkanth, and Gajaraj will also reprise their roles. New additions to the cast include Ramya Krishnan, Yogi Babu, and Karunakaran. Directed by Chella Ayyavu, with cinematography by K M Bhaskaran and music by Sean Roldan, the film is set for a worldwide theatrical release on July 3.