Is Maddock Films going on the lines of Dharma, YRF for Chhaava?

Corporate bookings, self-bookings have been the hot topic in Bollywood ever since Pathaan was released in 2023. At that time strong discussions regarding how Shah Rukh Khan and YRF did brazen block booking to declare Pathaan a big success was debated a lot amid Bollywood’s trade circles and naturally on social media platforms.

Film trade analyst Komal Nahta about the corporate bookings strategy of Pathaan and Jawaan pic.twitter.com/nxkGvEcIF4

— Kapil`ॐ (@iAKsSaviour) January 26, 2025

Effective use of corporate bookings helped Pathaan a lot

Although Pathaan was declared eventually as the biggest superhits of recent times many trade analysts candidly expressed that the numbers were not organic. Also there was a huge uproar related to corporate bookings when SRK’s Jawan and Dunki released the same year. For the first time in decades the audience and fans of Bollywood started questioning the authenticity of the figures that were declared by the leading production houses.

2024 belonged to #MaddockFilms as they churned out blockbusters such as #Stree2 & #Munjya.

But why are they now squandering their reputation by indulging in BRAZEN block-bookings for #Chhaava? Everyone knows the BUZZ is LOW outside Maharahstra.

Buying tickets for their own… pic.twitter.com/TC3YcK2SYw

— Navneet Mundhra (@navneet_mundhra) February 9, 2025

The same tactic was allegedly put into practice by Dharma Productions when Alia Bhatt-led Jigra tanked at the box office. Jigra could not survive even for a week properly in theaters which was a big jolt to Karan Johar-Alia's team as before that she was being promoted as the female Amitabh Bachchan of Bollywood. While corporate bookings and fake figures helped Pathaan get a response eventually, by the time Jigra was released fans were quite aware of all these tactics and did not fall prey to it.

After Skyforce, Maddock Films allegedly indulged in block booking for Chhaava

Maddock Films’ Chhaava is all set to hit the theaters on February 14. Despite a very aggressive trailer that is full of all the violence, drama and action expected from a period movie, this Vicky Kaushal, Rashmika Mandanna flick has failed to trigger excitement among Bollywood fans.

Literally, there is negligible hype about Chhaava on social media with web users discussing more about re-releases and Himesh Reshammiya’s Badass Ravikumar. Now that seems to have created an anxiety in the camp of Maddock Films.

Skyforce, produced by the same production house starring Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya opened to a very low response. It was later on alleged by many trade analysts that Maddock Films indulged in corporate booking to create a hype for the film. Now there are strong rumours that the production house of Dinesh Vijay is also trying to do the same for Chhaava with block bookings.

"Yeh Bollywood Ke Itihaas Ki Sabse Badi Corporate Booking Hai" Trade Analysts on SkyForce.😳
byu/Chai_Lijiye inBollyBlindsNGossip

Incidentally, Maddock is the only production house from Bollywood that delivered two big hits- Munjya and Stree 2 last year. Some movies do well some flop. But why this insistence of making all the movies superhits despite the fact that they are not getting good response?