Bhushan Kumar on inflated box office numbers in Bollywood as Animal releases: ‘Corporate bookings happen for all films’

T-Series head honcho Bhushan Kumar spoke about the rumoured inflation of box office numbers reported by producers, and said that corporate bookings are a common practice.

Managing director of T-Series Bhushan Kumar. (File Photo)

While Bollywood has experienced a comeback this year, with a streak of successful films at the box office, there has been chatter around the veracity of the numbers that are often floated by production houses. Karan Johar touched on the issue in a recent episode of Koffee with Karan, making a reference to comments by Gadar 2 director Anil Sharma. And now, producer Bhushan Kumar has weighed in on the topic, explaining how someone could get away with inflating box office numbers.

In an interview with CNN-News18, the T-Series head honcho said that everything he knows about this subject is based on hearsay, but noted that corporate bookings are the key factor in inflated box office figures. “I can’t speak for others, but I don’t believe in this, it’s made-up,” he said.

Also read | Animal Movie Release and Review Live Updates: Twitter reviews of Ranbir Kapoor film call it ‘terrific’, earns Rs 34 cr in advance bookings

Asked if it is possible to inflate figures, he continued, “Maybe, through corporate bookings. That doesn’t mean people are buying tickets but halls are empty. These are corporate bookings. This happens in all the films. Sometimes, some producers enhance this by funding (bookings) themselves. There’s no proof for this. But sometimes it happens naturally. Making corporates tell their employees to watch a certain film, and they’ll buy the tickets. It’s like if my son wants to watch Toy Story with his friends, I’ll sponsor it, but it’ll look like a corporate booking. These kind of things people do, but this is not your natural collection.”

Story continues below this ad

Recently, Karan Johar brought up comments about ‘organic numbers’ made by Anil Sharma, when he asked Sunny Deol to explain what was being implied. Karan said, “I was watching your interviews, and you were saying, ‘Ours are organic collections’. What does that really mean? Do you think that there are inflated numbers being given by us? Are we inflating box office numbers, Sunny sir?” Sunny laughed, and said, “I don’t know. There are times… That’s the way… The world is moving like that, right? If you ask me frankly, all the companies want the product to move ahead, and try to support it, so that it gets the buzz out there. I know that does happen, and it is happening. But that’s the way it is. It’s not like one particular person… That’s the way society is moving right now.”

Meanwhile, Bhushan Kumar-produced Animal is headed for a massive opening at the box office. The Ranbir Kapoor-starrer is expected to collect at least Rs 60 crore in India, and more than Rs 100 crore worldwide on day one of release.

Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.

us india trade talks, us india trade negotiations, us india tariffs, us india trade relations, trump modi trade talks, india us commerce ministry, us tariffs on india, india exporters relief package, us india economic relations, india us trade barriers, us india trade deal, india us trade meeting, rajesh agarwal commerce ministry, india us trade dispute, india us bilateral trade

Trade talks ‘positive’, govt says will intensify efforts to close US deal early

Business2 hr ago

India and the US have resumed trade negotiations after the US imposed tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. The sixth round of talks will focus on recognising India's red lines and possibly increasing energy purchases from the US. Other topics include easing patent rules, data flows, and giving US firms procurement access.

View all shorts

More Entertainment

Entertainment Anurag Kashyap 'got a message' from people behind major Bollywood hit, was told to keep his 'genuine praise' for the film to himself: 'My jaw dropped'