Overview
- Lal Salaam opened in theatres on February 9, 2024, and earned roughly ₹17.74 crore in India and about ₹31.25 crore worldwide against a reported ₹80–90 crore budget, making it a clear commercial failure.
- Vishnu Vishal told reporters on June 26–27, 2026 that he personally apologised to Netflix for the film’s poor performance and said he wanted to take ownership despite the platform saying the failure was not solely his responsibility.
- Netflix had bought post‑theatrical streaming rights before release but never put the film on its service after delivery delays, and the film eventually reached viewers on Sun NXT in June 2025.
- Director Aishwarya Rajinikanth has said a hard disk with key footage went missing, which delayed an intended extended director’s cut and the OTT premiere, and composer A. R. Rahman later re‑scored portions without an extra fee.
- Industry observers say the film’s shortfall added to reported financial strain at producer Lyca Productions and highlights how missing deliverables, stalled streaming windows and limited use of star power can compound losses for big‑budget Indian films.