Overseas box office collections: In the world of movies, there’s an old saying: “You can fool some people all the time, you can fool all the people for some time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” As India celebrates hits like Gadar 2, Jailer, OMG 2, a question arises: How does money from other countries affect Indian films?
Think about it: Does doing well overseas really help these movies, or is it a kind of trick involving many people?
Lately, how much money a film makes abroad has become a big deal for Indian films. We cheer for these films, but we need to figure out how much foreign money really matters. Does it give these movies a big push? Or is it a chance for tricky things to happen, with many people involved?
The not so sweet pattern of “Overseas Domination!”
As an astute individual once articulated, “At first, it is an accident, then it is a coincidence, then a pattern, and subsequently, it is a sign of things to come!” This observation seems particularly pertinent when examining the phenomenon of overseas collections in the context of the Indian film industry.
Why does the financial performance of Indian films in foreign territories draw such intense attention, especially today?
Initially, overseas collections resembled a delectable dessert accompanying a full-course meal. For instance, envision producing a film at a cost of 10 crores. If the movie became a hit domestically, it could easily amass around 20 crores in earnings. The additional 10-15 crores would then serve as a supplementary boost from international markets.
However, a predicament arises when a film’s overseas earnings surpass its domestic revenue. To illustrate, consider this scenario: when evaluating your academic performance, what holds more weight, the core examination accounting for 80 marks or a supplementary project contributing 20 marks?
In a similar vein, the growing significance of overseas collections raises eyebrows and prompts deeper inquiries. This phenomenon beckons us to contemplate whether it signifies a positive shift or if there’s more than meets the eye.
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The signs that emerged post COVID 19
Starting around 2017, we noticed some changes, but they were hard to see at first. Then, after COVID-19, especially in late 2021, these changes became more obvious. The movie “Gangubai Kathiawadi” showed us this shift. It cost around 160 crores to make, and it needed to earn at least 200 crores just from India to be called a hit.
But here’s the twist: The movie did make that much money, but if you count what it earned all over the world. In India, it only made about 120 crores. Still, it’s called a “HIT!” If you look at recent movies, you’ll see something interesting: some movies are successful mainly because of how much they earn in other countries. This gives us a clue.
And it’s not just Bollywood – the Indian film industry – that’s doing this. Other movie industries, like Tamil cinema, are also playing this game. Think about movies like “Master,” “Beast,” and “Varisu.” None of them had small budgets; they all cost more than 120 crores to make. And each of them earned more than 200 crores worldwide. But they never told us how much they earned just in India. Why is that?
This makes us wonder: Why keep this a secret? It’s weird when foreign earnings are way bigger than local earnings. It’s like saying a project is more important than the main test in school.
This brings up a big question: How should we decide if a movie is a success? Should it be about how much it earns around the world, or should it also consider how much people in its own country like it? Think about it like school again. If you’re really good at projects but not so good in the main exams, should you still get a good grade overall?
Movies are more than just money – they’re about sharing ideas and feelings. But when we focus too much on money from other countries, we might forget why movies are special. We saw hints of this puzzle a few years back, and now it’s getting clearer. The movie “Gangubai Kathiawadi” was like a signpost. But this isn’t just happening in Bollywood; it’s also in other parts of India’s film industry. Movies like “Beast” are part of this puzzle too. We need to think about what really matters when we say a movie is a hit. Is it just about money, or is it about something more?
Overseas collections: Why is this trend disturbing?
The growing prevalence of this trend raises valid concerns. One might wonder, why is this trend so disconcerting? The answer lies in the potential distortion of a film’s true financial and creative success.
There isn’t a clear rule-maker checking how much money movies make from other countries. This is a problem because we can easily keep track of how much money a movie makes within its own country, but the money from other countries is hidden. We have agencies like ED, CBI etc. for financial discrepancies within the country, but what of those abroad?
This situation creates a fertile ground for financial discrepancies and even instances of money laundering. When a film’s reported success hinges on substantial foreign earnings, questions about the veracity of these figures become more than justified. If a movie boasts a budget of 100 crores and rakes in approximately 160 crores in total collections, it might not raise eyebrows, provided the bulk of these earnings stem from domestic sources. However, when a film amasses revenue of 130 crores, with domestic earnings trailing behind the production cost, and yet, it is termed as a “success”, THAT IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM!
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These concerns become more than theoretical when we acknowledge the monetary and reputational stakes involved in the film industry. In an environment where financial success often translates to influence and opportunities, the temptation to manipulate figures, whether for personal gain or to secure future investments, becomes palpable.
Imagine if you had a friend who told you they had a lot of money, but you never actually saw the money and couldn’t confirm it. You might start wondering if they’re telling the truth or if something strange is happening. It’s similar with movies – when we can’t see the exact earnings from other countries, it makes us wonder if everything is as it seems, especially when big amounts of money are involved.
Although the idea of being famous worldwide is really attractive, it’s important to remember that right now, there aren’t clear rules about how much money movies make from other countries in the Indian film industry. This is a big worry because it could lead to some tricky things happening with money, making things not so fair.
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