CREDIBILITY CRISIS IN BOLLYWOOD AS TRADE SLAMS INDUSTRY’S ‘HARMFUL’ PRACTICES; FROM BUY ONE GET ONE OFFER TO BREEDING ‘PAID INFLUENCERS’
Trade circle has slammed Bollywood for furthering damaging practices. (Photo: PR Handout)
Days after Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Maidaan hit the big screens, a producer checked his Twitter and laughed at the paid tweets he claimed were being pushed to hype the Bollywood Eid releases. He joked that these were what the industry called "samosa critics"-- paid trade influencers who charge per tweet, often assigned to build a social media narrative. "It is an open secret and quite embarrassing really. Why would you do it? We all know it is a sham," he said. Days later, his own film had an announcement being pushed on X. It was through the same influencers.
In 2024, the Hindi film industry finds itself facing multiple hurdles, most self-induced, a few beyond its control. But it is a surround-sound crisis that is ringing in the ears of everyone even remotely associated with Bollywood that just delivered an average first quarter and started its second quarter on a shocking note with both Eid releases bombing big, nursing losses to the tune of Rs 250 cr.
Several trade analysts and exhibitors Indianexpress.com spoke to opened up about how the industry not only needs to keep the ever-inflating star fees in check--the biggest menace, they said--but also clean up acts it has encouraged for so long: Enticing viewers with "harmful" buy-one-get-one ticket offers, pushing paid reviews for promotions and acting cowardly in times of urgency.
The BOGO Effect
Since 2023, the Hindi film industry started picking up on a new trend: the buy-one-get-one (BOGO) ticket offer. It was implemented on a wide scale for Vicky Kaushal-Sara Ali Khan starrer Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, which had BOGO right through its opening weekend. The offer was then replicated for several other mid-sized films of 2023, including The Vaccine War, Dream Girl 2, Ghoomer, Mission Raniganj, Dono, and followed through even in 2024 with Katrina Kaif's Merry Christmas and Shahid Kapoor-Kriti Sanon starrer Teri Baaton Mein Uljha Jiya.
Even Crew, headlined by Tabu, Kareena Kapoor and Kriti, Maidaan and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan had the offer on select days. Vidya Balan-Pratik Gandhi's Do Aur Do Pyaar had BOGO right from day one. While the makers have rolled out the offer for all kinds of films, big scale or small, the result has been mixed.
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.
The economics of BOGO, simply put, means that a viewer will pay for one ticket, while the cost of the other ticket will be borne by the producer. This practice then puts a giant question mark on the total collection of a film, because a part of it was the producing putting their own money.
Which is why, trade analyst Komal Nahta said, the collections of a film like Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, which netted Rs 80 cr, will be looked at differently as it had BOGO offer attached to it. The film was backed by Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films, which also produced Zara Hatke Zara Bachke.
"He (the producer) is taking money from one pocket, putting in another. The PVRs and the INOXs are very happy with this unhealthy trend, because they are assured of full revenue even if the films are bad. They couldn't care less whether the audience is paying them or the producers themselves," Nahta said.
Veteran distributor and exhibitor Raj Bansal said BOGO offer is a "harmful" trend picked up by the industry as, contrary to what makers think, the audience is more reluctant to watch films in cinemas.
"I have met so many people who casually tell me, 'Oh that film which has released on Friday? When it doesn't get good collections till Sunday, there will be a BOGO offer by Monday anyway. That's when my family and I will watch it at ease. Why the rush?' The offers, the schemes have made people more reluctant to step out. Which is why the films are not opening well.
"Now, if there are three films releasing on the same day, and if one opts for this scheme, the other two are forced to follow and implement it. It still doesn't guarantee numbers! Pehle aisa kahan hota tha? You are doing this because you are making bad films," Rajasthan-based Bansal said.
Nahta said the idea of pulling the audience in by giving one ticket free is the "last-ditch" effort that maybe should be introduced in the fourth week, never from the first weekend itself. Earlier, films like Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan and Jawan had rolled BOGO when they both crossed major milestones after their fourth week. Even Sunny Deol's Gadar 2 had BOGO on the Raksha Bandhan holiday.
"You are spoiling the industry norms, causing more harm to the industry at the cost of your own film," Nahta said. "You want to make profit but are not thinking of the larger interest. I know it is easier said than done, everyone is interested in making their money, but not at the cost of disturbing norms. It is almost like literally pulling in the audience saying, 'Bas tum aajao cinemas mein, I know it is not a good film, but just come.'"
Nahta said introducing BOGO in the first weekend itself is a sign that the makers have accepted defeat. "So kiska ego massage kar rahe ho tum? If the offer is on a bad film, when it is given at an initial stage, people might get enamored initially. But that offer didn't help Maidaan at all, not one percent. We have already reached that stage. It is an accelerated position because once or twice this can work, but then people start saying, 'Arey ye bakwaas film hai isiliye offer hai.' It is an extremely unhealthy trend," Nahta said.
Tade analyst Himesh Mankad said if makers are so keen to provide an incentive, BOGO is the wrong approach, because the cost of that one free ticket is borne by the producer. "So, it's basically the producer sponsoring the ticket for someone, it is a silly move, a short-term gimmick to attract the audience. No gimmick has a long-term standing and this would come to an end as well."
He argued that a better alternative is opting for "flat pricing", that is placing tickets at Rs 150 for morning shows, Rs 200 for mid-sized films and so on. "They will help more than BOGO, because in flat pricing, producers don't have to spend money from their pocket, and it is lucrative. Once people know the tickets are cheaper, it helps," Mankad added.
The economics of 'Samosa Critics'
If there is something that unites all fandoms on social media, it is their collective criticism of what has emerged as their favourite punching bag: paid trade influencers, who will charge money to hype a film, and in some cases, harm another. The packages are different and come in all sizes to fit all pockets.
Industry sources shared with Indianexpress.com that paid Twitter critics charge anywhere between Rs,15,000 to Rs 60,000 per tweet, depending on who the produces are tapping. This is the standard amount for one post, but if a maker plans to rope the said influencer for their full-fledged campaign for a film, the charges go above Rs 2 lakhs. The services include multiple tweets before the release, a favourable review, constant box-office updates meant to only hype the film on social media, even if the ground reality paints a different, dryer, sadder picture.
The distributor explained that the paid tweets are pushed in advance to create a hype and, in some instances, even full-fledged reviews are out on Twitter. "All that is done to manipulate the audience. But the viewers are the king, they just know a hit film, a bad film, good film or bad film. Who are you to decide that? Jab jeb se paise jaata hai, tab pata chalta hai picture kaisi hai," he added.
A producer shared with Indianexpress.com that the entire industry "laughs" when the 'samosa' guys put out a tweet. "We know who has paid, we know it is all rigged, but it is all out there. It is a desperate tactic; I don't know if it can stop anytime soon. But it is an open secret and makers are willing to go the extra mile to get what they want, even if it means paid push on Twitter," the producer said.
A trade insider said paid tweets by film influencers don't help a film at all, in fact cause more "damage". The source explained, "People who do their job with honesty, if their opinions are the same as the 'samosa critics', people will start questioning even their credibility. The audience doesn't care about this, they will watch what they want to. Brahmastra was slammed by big critics, still it did business of Rs 240 cr. Your trailer, music is the make or break thing.
If it is also proven multiple times that anything paid doesn't boost a project, then why is it that makers often find themselves paying exorbitant amount from their marketing expenses for something that is now laughed at?
"The industry is paying this ecosystem over insecurity," the source shared. "No one wants to read bad things about them. For some, this is also an extortion racket. They write negatively on Twitter and then quote Rs 1-2 lakhs for 'positive' tweets, which the makers then get into a deal with. It is about making money out of one's insecurity.
"If this stops, the industry will create something else. Like in the last five years, they have created influencers as well to promote their films, and now they are paying influencers to dance with them. Imagine a big star paying an influencer to do a reel with him? They will find innovative ways to ruin their own reputation. That won't stop," the source added.
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2024-04-26T03:36:39Z dg43tfdfdgfd