Bollywood has been struggling with criticism for lacking original content and losing ground to South Indian hits. In addition, a new controversy, block booking, adds to its woes.
Block booking is when producers, studios, or actors buy bulk tickets to inflate box office numbers. This is to create a false impression of success, drawing more audiences and boosting media attention.
Additionally, higher box office figures help secure better deals from OTT platforms and satellite channels, which base their prices on audience engagement.
The controversy escalated when Trade Analyst Kamal Nehta accused the makers of Skyforce, starring Akshay Kumar, of block booking.
Similar accusations followed against Chhaava, starring Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna, produced by Maddock Films, which also backed Skyforce.
While Maddock Films has not commented, Skyforce director Sandeep Kewlani denied the claims. The controversy raises concerns about Bollywood's credibility and ethical practices.
In fact, Ram Charan starring 'Game Changer' also faced this phenomenon of block booking to create artificial hype.
"In this entire scenario, whatever the marketing practice, ultimately the content speaks. Chhaava proved successful, while Game Changer became an utterly miserable disaster. Content speaks finally, not marketing gimmicks," said Saxena, a distributor from Mumbai.
