Aamir Khan, in a recent podcast, gave his two cents on corporate booking, a practice where producers themselves buy tickets of their films to create a perception that it is performing well at the box office.
In a conversation with journalist Komal Nahta, Aamir said that he prefers to not fudge numbers. “When my film releases, I believe in giving out actual collections of a film. I tell my team that we should not give out incorrect numbers. In business, I feel that it's very silly to lie.”
Komal then probed him on the practice of corporate bookings and how “90 per cent” producers do it. “It’s human nature…main kyun bolu ki meri film nahin chal rahi hai (why should I say my film is not working). They feel that if the word comes out that their film is a super-hit, log usme zyada invest karenge (people will invest in it more). I feel these are short term gains. Ultimately, the truth will come out at some point.”
Last week, Komal asked about self-buying to producer Boney Kapoor and he said, “This is my opinion and I may be wrong. But I feel that OTT is responsible. Satellite is responsible. In today’s times, the contracts related to the sale of OTT and satellite rights are linked to the box office figures. As per the contracts, if a film crosses the Rs. 100 crore mark, the platforms would give an additional Rs. 5 crores to the makers. If the film goes past Rs. 120 crores, Rs. 5 crores more would be given.”
On the film front, Aamir’s last release was Sitaare Zameen Par, which is currently can be accessed on YouTube. He was also seen in Rajinikanth’s Coolie. The actor has also been talking about backing a film series on the Mahabharata.
