One or more aspects of the disclosure pertain to an article including a film disposed on a glass substrate, which may be strengthened, where the interface between the film and the glass substrate is modified, such that the article has an improved average flexural strength, and the film retains key functional properties for its application. Some key functional properties of the film include optical, electrical and/or mechanical properties. In one or more embodiments, interface exhibits the effective adhesion energy is about less than about 4 J/m2. In some embodiments, the interface is modified by the inclusion of a crack mitigating layer between the glass substrate and the film.