A couple of days ago, producer Ronnie Screwvala had raised questions about trade analysts sharing inflated and inaccurate box-office figures. The Sky Is Pink, Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota and Karwaan producer took to Twitter and asked two film trade analysts, Komal Nahta and Taran Adarsh, to give authentic box office numbers of films rather than inflated ones.
“Isn’t it time everyone reports Box Office numbers accurately! @KomalNahta @taran_adarsh ... accuracy of information builds credibility which the movie industry needs so badly... and not sure how long — to appease egos will Studios and all keep encouraging pumped up data on numbers,” he wrote on Twitter.
Many felt that the tweet was cryptically aimed at the latest release Housefull 4, which made over Rs 100 crore in just five days of its release. However, the producer later clarified that the tweet was not directed to any movie. “Just to clarify that my tweet was not directed at any one movie (as is being wrongly assumed) but just an overall comment for the future + my reasons to tag some of the industry authorities was because they can make a difference to the credibility — happy Diwali,”Ronnie added.
Komal replied, “That’s asking for too much in India in general. Nothing will be achieved till producers decide to be honest. Finally, the source of information is producers/distributors/exhibitors. If they don’t stop providing inflated figures, getting real figures will be an uphill task for anyone.”
For many, BO figures have become a huge deal. Well-known trade analysts share first day and weekend collections. Once a particular film enters the 100 crore club, it makes headlines. Going by the buzz these numbers create, one can only think that these figures have become promotional tools for production houses. However, there’s no way one can find out whether these figures are real or not.
A trade analyst says that producers cash in on the figures. “They share these numbers on Twitter, Facebook. Instagram and other online channels as a PR exercise to attract the audience. By adding these magical figures, they keep the movie in the news so that more people watch it. Social media is a great platform to promote their films,” adds the trade analyst. These figures increase the curiosity of movie goers and make them watch the film in theatres.
But how are these figures calculated? Explaining the process, a trade analyst says, “We get the collection details one week later on Thursday from theatre owners and multiplexes. If a film releases in 2,000 to 3,000 screens, it’s practically impossible to get the exact figures. The last show ends at 11 or 11.30 pm and they share the number by 12.30 am, which is practically impossible to source. They estimate the figures. They calculate the collections till 9 pm and for the rest, they add 10-15 per cent margin and share the figures with the analyst.”
So the audience must think before falling for the number trap.
