Will Sidharth Malhotra's 'Shershaah' emerge as a winner?

Actor Sidharth Malhotra's latest movie Shershaah is slated to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on August 12 much to the delight of 'Sid' fans. The film has garnered a fair deal of attention on social media with its trailer, which suggests that it has the potential to emerge as a winner. So, will Shershaah live up to expectations? Here's our SWOT analysis.
 

Strength: Strong subject

The film is based on the life of the late Kargil hero Captain Vikram Batra and highlights his daredevilry. The trailer suggests that the flick will have patriotic undertones and explore the protagonist's personal and professional aspirations. It is likely to feature intense war sequences and a tender romantic track.
 

Weakness: Malhotra's limited star power
 

Malhotra began his acting career with the 2012 release Student of the Year, which did well at the box office. He, however, soon suffered setbacks when films such as A Gentleman, Ittefaq and Jabariya Jodi failed to live up to expectations. This resulted in a perception that he isn't as big a draw as some of his peers, which may affect the initial response to Shershaah. Moreover, Vishnuvardhan-- the director of Tamil films such as Billa and Arrambam--isn't really a popular name in Bollywood.

Opportunity: OTT release

Contrary to perception, star power can help a film find wide patronage even on OTT. Salman Khan's Radhe, for example, emerged as a 'digital blockbuster' despite the mixed reviews mainly because of Bhai's mass connect. That said, it is possible for relatively smaller films to find wide patronage if the content is good. Darbaan is a case in point. It found an audience despite the obvious lack of star power as word-of-mouth was better than expected. Shershaah might emerge as a big hit if the execution is up to the mark.

Moreover, the leading lady Kiara Advani garnered attention with her bold performance in Lust Stories and her work in the Sandeep Vanga-helmed Kabir Singh. Her popularity may prove to be a blessing for the film.
 

Threat: Competition from Bhuj

The Ajay Devgn-starrer Bhuj is slated to premiere on Hotstar on August 13. It is based on the life of the late IAF squadron leader Vijay Karnik and deals with the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The biggie has patriotic undertones, which indicates that it has the potential to emerge as an alternative to Shershaah.