Bollywood’s box office numbers have been a topic of debate for a long time. Now, an official report has brought more attention to the issue. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has confirmed that corporate bookings and self-buying of tickets are being used to boost box office collections.
Bollywood’s Box Office Struggle After The Pandemic
The film industry has faced a tough time since the pandemic. Audiences have become more selective, making box office performances unpredictable.
To maintain an image of success, some producers and distributors have found new ways to manipulate numbers. Corporate bookings and self-buying of tickets have become common tactics to achieve target figures, even if real audience demand is LOW.
How Box Office Figures Are Inflated
Both successful and struggling films have used these methods. Flop films do it to avoid being labelled failures. Hit films use it to push their numbers higher and achieve milestone statuses.
If a film is expected to be a hit, producers may try to make it a blockbuster. If it is already a blockbuster, they may aim for record-breaking status.
FICCI Report Confirms the Trend
For years, people in the industry have speculated about these strategies. Now, FICCI’s latest report has made it official. The report states, “Some studios we met believed that the practice of producers or distributors purchasing tickets for their own movies to show a better opening performance had increased.”
This statement confirms what many suspected but could not prove.
The Lack Of Transparency In Bollywood
Unlike Hollywood, which relies on independent trackers like Rentrak for accurate box office figures, Bollywood lacks a proper verification system. Without a third-party monitoring body, real box office numbers remain unclear. This allows manipulated figures to go unchecked.
Many insiders have spoken about these tactics before, sometimes indirectly and sometimes openly. But no major steps have been taken to stop them. As FICCI has now addressed the issue, the debate over box office credibility will only grow. Will Bollywood take action to ensure transparency, or will these practices continue? That remains to be seen.
(Also read: Salman Khan Feels Bollywood Can’t Go Pan-India Due To Lack Of Support From South: ‘The Way We’ve Accepted Them Here…’)
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