Acting calibre, backing from big banners, public relations skills -- these three qualities are essential to building a career in the film business, irrespective of language or region. But are they enough to maintain the image of a successful actor in the public eye in the post-pandemic era? It doesn't seem so.
In 2025, as major Hindi films continue to flop at the box office and South Indian films dominate the box office and headlines, superstars across the country are allegedly using technology to create a *false* perception of success through block or bulk bookings.
What Are Block Bookings?
Trade analyst Komal Nahta acted as a whistleblower when he criticised the box office figures of Akshay Kumar's Sky Force in a public post earlier this year. Nahta alleged that the film had shown inflated opening week collections of Rs 40 crore (more on that later).
Generally speaking, block or bulk bookings refer to when a corporate house books a large number of cinema tickets (often distributed among employees) to create the illusion that a film is running houseful shows -- while, in reality, the attendance is sparse.
Contrary to popular belief, trade analyst Amod Mehra tells NDTV, "I would say stars are doing block bookings directly or indirectly. And they're the ones benefiting most from it."
"The media has coined the term 'block bookings' to suggest there's manipulation in box office collections, and that it's the corporates behind it. But nobody really knows how it's actually done," Mehra adds.
Komal Nahta tells NDTV, "Three or four major stars and production houses in Bollywood are doing it. They are bringing disrepute to the industry."
Amod Mehra explains the process, "We presume block bookings are mainly done through [online ticketing platform] BookMyShow. Stars or corporates book large numbers of tickets and then cancel them. So, when you go to book tickets, the app shows a full theatre. But when you walk into the cinema, it's empty. The financial loss to the stars or corporate backers is negligible compared to the film's overall budget."
Why Are Stars So Desperate To Create A False Image of Success?
Komal Nahta tells NDTV, "When a star projects that his film is earning big numbers, he can significantly increase his endorsement fees. So, they're essentially deceiving advertisers, the public, and the industry to make more money."
Amod Mehra adds, "A star is more interested in retaining his public image. He doesn't care whether his films are actually running houseful shows. They charge crores in remuneration. Even if the films flop, they still earn through endorsements. Inflated numbers help them negotiate higher endorsement deals."
Just as the number of social media followers plays a crucial role in helping outsiders land a big-banner film, inflated box office numbers seem to help big stars create a perception, albeit a false one, of success in a highly competitive market.
Komal Nahta's Allegations Against Sky Force
In a detailed public post, Komal Nahta broke down the numbers of Akshay Kumar-starrer Sky Force, and alleged that the team had used block bookings to inflate its opening collection numbers. Nahta went as far as to claim that this was the biggest such case in Hindi cinema history.
Sky Force hit the screens on January 24 this year.
An excerpt from Nahta's post read: "The records will show total collections of Rs 80 crore, but that's because heavy block booking of unsold tickets was done each day in the first week to give the impression that the film was performing extraordinarily well at the box office. This may be the largest block booking ever done in Bollywood history."
"Proof of this lies in the fact that houseful or near-houseful status on BookMyShow.com coincided with near-empty cinema halls -- because there was no public to fill the block-booked seats."
Nahta added that while block bookings were initially done across multiple chains and cinemas nationwide, they were later restricted primarily to PVR Inox, since PVR Inox Pictures was the film's all-India distributor.
Komal Nahta about skyforce block bookings. Surprising how most have been silent about this.
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Speaking to NDTV, Nahta adds, "I know of an actor who told a producer that he would only work with him if he had a Rs 30-40 crore budget set aside just for block bookings -- like Dinesh Vijan does."
Dinesh Vijan is a film producer and the founder of Maddock Films, whose Stree 2 was among the highest-grossing Hindi films of last year.
Block Bookings In The Regional Market
It's an open secret that producers and stars across regional industries often spend extra to boost box office numbers. After all, sometimes numbers speak louder than talent.
Even in the Bengali film industry, where budgets are relatively modest and films are shot within 20 days, many leading producers have allegedly resorted to block bookings. One of the top stars in the industry is said to have been doing this for years.
"From Rs 10-15 lakh to Rs 1 crore worth of block bookings have taken place in the Bengali film industry over the past few years. Even when the films don't work, hall owners are satisfied," Satadeep Saha, CEO of SSR Cinemas, tells NDTV.
Block Bookings And The Future Of The Film Business
The obsession with box office numbers arguably became mainstream after SS Rajamouli's Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) grossed over Rs 1,000 crore. That film also triggered the rise of the South in the Hindi belt.
But the film industry has changed dramatically since the pandemic, especially with the rise of OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan (2023), backed by Yash Raj Films, was the first major Hindi film to cross Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 1,050.50 crore) at the box office, followed by Jawan (Rs 1,148.32 crore) the same year.
Trade analyst Amod Mehra doesn't mince words, "You can quote me -- this block booking trend started with Pathaan, Jawan, Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva."
As the saying goes, the truth is often stranger than fiction -- and in the case of inflated film numbers, perhaps more complicated than the truth itself. But when it comes to big films, numbers are a good; albeit flawed; measure of success.
