Over the last few years, the idea of discussing a film has moved away from the film, but is largely focused on its box office performance. The conversation around box office has now become so big that actors and makers don’t hesitate before spending their own money just so they can show that their film is a hit. In trying to build a perception that their film is a hit, so they can get their projects greenlit and don’t have to lose face, the film’s true performance at the box office and its quality is never discussed. In a recent panel discussion, journalist Vickey Lalwani said that film producers often make creatives declaring how much their film has earned on a particular day, even before that day’s collections are in.
“I was sitting at a producer’s office. It was day 2 of his film’s release, and they were already preparing a creative that the film has made Rs 24 cr on day 2. The second day had just begun. How could they know how much the film will make?” he shared with Hindi Rush. He added that the next day, he actually saw that the Rs 24 crore figure was being circulated everywhere.
He added, “So everything is scripted, everything is planned. I have read that actors are also giving money to theatres to show that they are housefull. For instance, an actor has done an ad with a soft drink. If their fee is Rs 2 crore, the actor will say, ‘I will take Rs 1 crore, you give Rs 1 crore to the theatres for buying tickets’,” he said. This is also known as block booking or corporate booking which has become a major conversation since the pandemic.
Actors are doing this, so it doesn’t hamper their brand value in case they have a flop at the box office. “Actors are doing because this way, they can charge a bigger fee for their next film. And the same with the director,” he said and added, “This whole thing is now just a racket.”
In an earlier roundtable shared on Galatta Plus, Karan Johar had opened up about changing the perception of a film if it is tanking at the box office. “See, sometimes you’re also struggling to make a mark. As a producer, you will make every last-ditch attempt to make your film be heard. So, while I may critique criticism, I’m also riding on their backs when they praise a film… I change with every film. Some films work on their own, so I can take the high ground and stay quiet. Some films are average, so we need to give the impression that they’re doing better than they actually are,” he said.
