Recent reports have surfaced about alleging that the makers of Akshay Kumar’s latest film, Sky Force, have manipulated box office figures to project a false image of success. This revelation has sparked discussions about the integrity of box office reporting in the Indian film industry.
Sky Force Box Office Manipulation is not the first instence, in a previous article titled “From Game Changer to Krrish 3: How Inflated Box Office Numbers Are Eroding Credibility,” we delved into the detrimental effects of such practices on the industry’s reputation. The piece highlighted instances where films reported exaggerated earnings, misleading audiences and setting unrealistic benchmarks for filmmakers.
Turning our attention to Sky Force, the film, directed by Abhishek Anil Kapur and Sandeep Kewlani, was touted as Akshay Kumar’s return to box office success after a three-year hiatus. Producers claimed that the movie earned ₹99.7 crore in its first week, with Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films stating on their official Instagram page that it garnered ₹111.7 crore net in India over nine days. However, industry tracker Komal Nahta refuted these claims, asserting that the actual earnings for the first week were only ₹40.50 crore. Nahta explained that heavy block bookings of unsold tickets were done daily during the first week to create the impression of extraordinary performance at the box office. This strategy led to a housefull or near-housefull scenario on BookMyShow.com, but cinema halls remained nearly empty due to the lack of actual viewers.
In his website, Film Information, Komal Nahta said Sky Force a box office underperformer and written its week one biz.
Komal wrote, “The Friday total was Rs. 5.50 crore. Collections went up to Rs. 10.50 crore on Saturday, and further to Rs. 14 crore on Sunday. After a first weekend total of Rs. 30 crore, collections on the weekdays were as follows: Monday – Rs. 3.25 crore, Tuesday – Rs. 3 crore, Wednesday – Rs. 2.25 crore, Thursday – Rs. 2 crore. In this way, the film netted Rs. 10.50 crore during the weekdays.”
This tactic of inflating box office numbers is not new. In our earlier article, we discussed how the film Krrish 3 faced allegations of overstating its domestic earnings by almost ₹60 crore, sparking widespread debate. Trade experts estimate that inflating numbers by 10-15% during a film’s initial release has become an industry norm, raising serious ethical concerns.
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What is Block Booking
One of the most common tactics used to inflate box office numbers is block booking, where a large number of tickets are purchased in bulk by the film’s producers, distributors, or related entities. These tickets are often not resold or used by actual audiences, but they help create the illusion of strong demand. This tactic results in misleading reports of housefull shows on ticketing platforms like BookMyShow, despite cinema halls remaining visibly empty.
Trade analysts argue that block booking has become an unethical yet widespread practice in Bollywood, particularly for films that struggle to attract organic footfall. This not only deceives the audience but also pressures rival filmmakers to employ similar tactics to stay competitive.
The implications of such practices are far-reaching. They not only mislead audiences but also create unrealistic expectations for future productions. Moreover, they erode trust in box office reporting, making it challenging for genuine successes to be recognized.
