Bollywood has recently come into fire for its lack of transparency and alleged inflation of Box Office figures.
Trade experts are concerned that Bollywood, which used to accuse the South Indian Cinema of exaggerating claims, has now resorted to similar petty tactics.
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Experts have noted trends of inflated numbers as high as 20-30%, especially when high-stakes projects with big stars are concerned.
Corporate bulk bookings form a major part of this malpractice. It is widely used as a practice to boost sales and build hype around popular stars.
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Recent Diwali releases like ‘Singham Again’ and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ have performed well, despite showing discrepancies in numbers, raising scepticism among trade analysts.
Industry experts say that while such practices may artificially enhance a film’s success and give the star a heroic stature, they can also cause significant damage to the industry’s credibility.
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These practices also often hurt the Exhibitors, who do not get accurate data for their business planning due to inconsistencies.
Trade experts have expressed their increasing frustration, saying that manipulated box office numbers, paid social media hype, and inflated PR campaigns can damage the quality and authenticity of the content.
This practice is not limited to Bollywood as experts have been accusing the South Indian Film Industry of such stunts for a long time.
The Indian Film Industry now faces a crucial choice — Either continue with such ‘heroic’ tactics or reveal actual figures with transparency to gain back the trust of the critics and the public alike.
