In recent days, there has been a surge of discussions and diverse opinions surrounding the practice of corporate bookings within the indian film industry. The controversy gained prominence with the release of "Salaar," a film that made waves at the box office but faced criticism due to extensive corporate bookings. This issue brings to light a long-standing trend in bollywood, where corporate bookings have been a norm for years, available for all films screening in the region. However, this practice was previously unseen in South indian cinema.
Regardless of the film's outcome in tollywood, there is a consistent trend of packed openings with theaters displaying "house full" signs. Presently, many tollywood filmmakers are producing films on a pan-India scale, leading to speculation that they are adopting the corporate bookings strategy for the hindi versions of their films. There were reports of icon star allu arjun and sukumar engaging in corporate bookings during the release of Pushpa-1, with allegations of the makers targeting a Rs 100 crore revenue through the hindi version.
Even during the initial three days of the release of Prabhas' "Adipurush," reports suggested that corporate bookings were undertaken. However, as "Adipurush" is a bollywood production, such practices are considered standard for that market. Despite "Salaar" achieving blockbuster status upon release, criticism has emerged, claiming that the film secured corporate bookings exceeding Rs. 50 crores.
This has led to speculations that tollywood filmmakers are increasingly resorting to corporate bookings for their Pan india projects. industry experts predict that this trend will likely become more widespread, as corporate bookings prompt audiences to secure tickets promptly, potentially influencing a broader audience trend. There are reports suggesting that the makers of "Devara," starring junior NTR, will continue this trend, along with the sequel to Pushpa-1, titled Pushpa-2. The veracity of these claims remains to be confirmed.
click and follow Indiaherald WhatsApp channel