# Saiyami Kher says box office not measure of actor’s worth 2026-08-23T03:32:47+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Actor Saiyami Kher has said it is 'disheartening' when a film she has poured her heart into does not perform well at the box office, but argued that commercial success should not be the sole measure of an actor's credibility. Speaking to Hindustan Times at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, where her film Pal Bhar Ke Liye was screened, she said Bollywood's focus on box office numbers is 'a bit unfortunate' and not merit-driven. Kher cited her film 8 AM Metro, which no OTT platform initially wanted until it became a hit on YouTube, as an example where she earned more respect than from any other film. She noted that many Rs 1,000-crore blockbusters do not guarantee the same regard. Her earlier film Ghoomer, directed by R Balki, received critical acclaim but underperformed in theatres, Kher attributed this partly to a wrong release date clashing with four big films. It later found an audience on ZEE5. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Kher's comments highlight a persistent tension in Bollywood: the gap between critical acclaim and commercial viability. Ghoomer's failure despite positive reviews mirrors cases like 'Manto' or 'Andhadhun' (which found success only after OTT release). With theatrical footfalls declining post-pandemic, mid-budget films increasingly rely on streaming for survival and respect. The next signal will be whether Pal Bhar Ke Liye finds a buyer or premieres direct-to-digital, a growing route for non-star-driven projects. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Presents Kher's views and film facts without taking a position on box office vs merit. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: 8 AM Metro, Bollywood, Ghoomer, Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, R Balki, Saiyami Kher Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/saiyami-kher-says-box-office-not-measure-of-actors-worth/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/saiyami-kher-says-box-office-not-measure-of-actors-worth/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/