Exclusive: Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 actor Rajesh Sharma speaks out against ‘fake’ box office numbers: ‘Manipulate karte hai…’

In an exclusive interview with India.com, actor Rajesh Sharma stated that box office in today's scenario is manipulated and audiences are not being fed with accurate numbers. Read below!

Bollywood actor Rajesh Sharma is one of those artists whom the audience would recognise more easily by face than his name. The actor has portrayed a large variety of roles in movies like The Dirty Picture, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Tanu Weds Manu, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and 3, as well as in web series like Paatal Lok and others. Before venturing into Hindi films, he also made a mark in Bengali cinema. His talent and commanding screen presence are undeniable.

Rajesh Sharma Exposes Box Office Manipulation

Rajesh Sharma, who has been in showbiz for 25 years, spoke about the ‘manipulation’ behind box office numbers and how audiences are no longer shown accurate reports. While discussing his previous film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and its Rs 400 crore success, the actor expressed that box office reports in today’s scenario are not ‘genuine’.

During a chat with india.com, Sharma stated, “Phele kya hota tha, genuine khabar hoti thi. Agar film ne silver jubilee ki hai toh hit hai, aur nahi hai toh semi-hit hai. Aaj kal box office chahye South ka ho ya Bollywood ka ho, manipulation hogya hai, aap manipulate karte hai. Audience ko exact khabar nhi hai ki Pushpa 2 ne kitna paisa kamaya hai, ya Singham ne, ya Bhool Bhulaiyaa ne. Vo figure jo aapko dikhate hai, aap vahi maante hai, aapko malum hi nhi hai, you don’t know.” (Earlier, the news used to be genuine. If a film had a silver jubilee, it was considered a hit, and if not, it was labelled a semi-hit. These days, whether it’s a South film or a Bollywood one, there’s manipulation involved; they manipulate the numbers. The audience isn’t given the exact information and how much Pushpa, Singham or Bhool Bhulaiyaa earned. The figures they show you what you believe, but you have no idea- you don’t know the truth.”

Reflecting how box office numbers were more authentic in the past as compared to present, Sharma stated, “Han vo box office naapnae ka parameter tha, vo humare pass tha, agar koi film 25 week chal rahi hai, theatre main toh matlab isne itna paisa kamaya hai. Aaj kal toh koi film 2 din main Rs 200 crore kama raha hai, koi 3 din main Rs 400 crore kama raha hai, kuch samaj nhi hai. (Earlier the parameter for measuring box office success was clear-if a film ran for 25 weeks in theatres, it meant it had earned a significant amount. Today, however, films are making Rs 200 crore in just two days or Rs 400 crore in three days, and it’s hard to make sense of it.)

The actor added that box office numbers are just being fed in audiences mind without any confirmation, “Yaar koi ek toh reason hona chahiye, ab jo aapko dikhaya jata hai vo mana parta hai. Yeh aapke dimaag main ghusaya ja raha hai aur aap bhi maan rahe ho.” (There should be one valid reason behind it. What’s being shown to you is something you have no choice but to accept. It’s being fed into your mind, and you’re starting to believe it.)

Meanwhile, on the work front, Rajesh Sharma’s upcoming film titled The Mission Grey House, has been released in theatres. Helmed by Naushad Siddiqui, the suspense actioner also features Abeer Khan, Puja Sharma, Kiran Kumar, Kamlesh Sawant, Nikhat Khan and Raza Murad.