Why facts are fudged

Pre-release hype projects most films as a sure-shot success. And when the results are otherwise, in case of big banners, the truth is not easily revealed. It’s assumed that the film did reasonably well.

Leading distributor Rajesh Thadani explains, “Yes, producers do it because if a film is a genuine hit, it helps in increasing the satellite value of the film. A lot of theatrical business, if pre-sold, are sometimes under contract that if a film makes a certain amount of money, then it will demand a higher satellite value for the film. Also, if it’s a listed company, then such news keeps the investors happy.”

And if the film flops “Everyone is known by their last film and so, no one wants to be known by a flop. By putting out stories that the film is a hit, it helps in creating a positive perception and eventually, the funding for your next film becomes easy.”

Take the film Akira. Some reports say the film is a hit, some say the collections are poor. What is the truth “The film is an average, not a flop. It’s great for Sonakshi to garner such good numbers as a solo actor.”

Some reviews that give great rating are believed to be paid for. There’s so much manipulation that nobody knows the truth. Hype is created but no longer is the audience fooled. A producer cannot stop word of mouth and post Friday, they are the ultimate deciding factor.

Rustom wasn’t a great film, yet collections are reported to be good. Rustom came with Mohenjo Daro and much hype was created for both the films. Fortunately for Rustom, the other film didn’t work. Secondly, that week had many holidays and audiences wanted to see a film and picked Rustom. I won’t say Rustom was an exceptional film, but it was a decent watch.”