Shikhar director John Mathew Matthan has met with a poor response at the box office for his second film and blames media for its fate.

“A few leading publications tried to rip apart the film. One newspaper went to the extent of giving it half a star. It was like assassinating the film. It appeared to be a very calculated attempt to finish the film,” said Matthan. He is also optimistic that it will gradually pick up the response from viewers that in the days to come.

“I wasn’t expecting the film to meet with an overwhelming response to start with, since it’s a rural based story dealing with values and not an adventure thriller. I guess the audiences probably expected a second SARFAROSH from me. The only thing I can do at the moment is to wait and watch whether the film picks up in the next few days,” Matthan reveals.

There was talk that he was contemplating trimming the second half of the film after the first three days but Matthan denies it. “A few of my friends in the trade did suggest that I edit the film but I felt it was a bit too late in the day to make changes,” he said.

Meanwhile, his friends have suggested he seek tax-exemption for the film. “I am in the process of applying for tax exemption. It could probably prove to be the silver lining for my film,” he said.