Bollywood's Credibility Crisis: Paid Reviews and Inflated Sales Numbers Hamper the Industry's Image
The $60 billion Bollywood industry is facing a credibility crisis, with insiders warning that manipulated film reviews and inflated box office numbers are distorting public perception and hurting ticket sales. Streaming platforms have disrupted traditional cinema, but industry veterans say Bollywood's woes are self-inflicted, including the trend to declare a film a 'hit' before its release. This practice has led to a loss of trust among audiences, who are now skeptical of early rave reviews.
"If you don't engage these influencers and critics, they will write bad reviews, even if the film is good," producer-distributor Suniel Wadhwa told AFP. "If the film is bad, they will write good things about the film, provided the producer or studio has paid them." Trade analyst and veteran distributor Raj Bansal noted that audiences have grown skeptical of early rave reviews, with people messaging him to say, 'Sir, that means the movie is not good.'
This distrust is now visible at the box office, with regular cinema-goers waiting for genuine reviews before buying tickets. As a result, ticket sales during the vital opening shows take a major dip as film fans wait for word of mouth or 'genuine reviews' to come out. Industry insiders allege that some influencers have 'rate cards', with prices rising for films that generate low pre-release buzz. Producers are accused of bulk-buying tickets to inflate opening-week numbers.
Sudhir Kasliwal, owner of Jaipur's Gem Cinema, recalled seeing hundreds of online bookings for one of superstar Shah Rukh Khan's releases, but only a fraction of the audience showed up in person. "Producers, directors, and actors themselves buy tickets... the future of Bollywood looks very bleak if this practice continues," Kasliwal said. "The wrong messages are conveyed to people, and unless good content is produced, things will never improve."
Recent controversies include Bollywood A-lister Akshay Kumar's fighter jet action movie Skyforce. The film's director denied allegations of 'block booking' to boost first-week numbers, but a Mumbai-based trade analyst claimed its gross was inflated from about $6 million to over $9 million. Online booking platforms showed full houses, but many theatres were nearly empty.
Critics who refuse to play along also risk being sidelined, while those who comply 'flourish', Bansal said. "Whenever I [post] that the film has opened with weak collections [ticket sales], I receive a barrage of calls from actors, producers asking me to remove it." Producer-distributor Wadhwa claimed that the box office collection of the 2025 romantic comedy horror Thamma was also manipulated, with true sales around $15 million while the film reported $18 million.
Thamma director Aditya Sarpotdar defended the $18 million figure, calling it the 'most accurate', having come from distributors and exhibitors. "When a film is still in theatres, the collection figures between producers and the trade will vary," Sarpotdar told AFP. "Producer numbers are always the honest numbers."
Experts warn that falsifying box office data has lasting consequences, from inflated star salaries to shrinking opportunities for new talent. "You can't take the audience for granted. They know the truth," Wadhwa said, adding that to have both reviews and ticket sales manipulated was 'a very sad situation.' Streaming platforms, now major players in film distribution, have begun demanding audited box office figures before striking deals, adding pressure on producers.
Despite the backlash, few expect the trend to end anytime soon. "This practice will continue," Wadhwa said, until producers and studios lose their 'appetite to buy tickets.'
This article was originally published in Dawn (https://www.dawn.com/news/1956155) on November 20th, 2025.
