By
ANEETA LULLA
Recently, renowned Trade Analyst Komal Nahta alleged a few Filmmakers of delivering flop films and presenting their projects as big hits by manipulating data at the box office, recently, makers of Ram Charan’s film Game Changer have been blamed for the same.
The Ram Charan and Kiara Advani starrer hit the top trends on social media, with fans celebrating the film’s release. Early box-office reports indicated that the film earned an estimated Rs 80.1 crore worldwide on its opening day. According to Sacnilk, the film’s India net collection on Day 1 was Rs 51 crore, with gross domestic collections amounting to Rs 61 crore. Combined with an estimated Rs 19 crore from overseas markets, the worldwide total reportedly stood at Rs 80.1 crore.
Tanveer Zaidi
Meanwhile, the movie’s official social media page claimed a staggering Rs 186 crore in global earnings, sparking criticism and ridicule.
The controversy began when Game Changer’s official page shared a poster featuring Ram Charan in a high-octane action sequence. The caption read, “The king’s arrival is setting the box office ablaze. #GameChanger takes a blockbuster opening at the Box Office. BlockbusterGameChanger Grosses 186 Crores Worldwide on Day 1.”
The stark difference between the reported figures and the official claim led to a swift backlash online. Trade analysts accused the producers of inflating the numbers by more than Rs 100 crore—a tactic deemed “unprecedented” in Indian cinema.
Akshay Kumar starrer Airlift was also alleged to have manipulating numbers atthe boxx officee, trying to present a flop film as a hit. Many other makers have tried to convert their flops into hits and superhits. Like AirLift, Akshay Kuma,r featuring Skyforc,e has also facedthe same kind of allegations.
Not only this, the Indian Film Industry- Bollywood has been blamed for groups as well.
Film and television actor Tanveer Zaidi spoke on the subject,
” According to the best of my knowledge and research work, almost two decades back, Bollywood was witnessing a transformation, with grander productions, advanced technology, and a growing appetite for high-concept films. King Shah Rukh Khan, already an international icon, was at the forefront of this shift, eager to push boundaries. His vision led to Ra. One, an ambitious sci-fi superhero spectacle that aimed to redefine Indian cinema. At the helm of this project was director Anubhav Sinha, then known for his commercially successful films but yet to venture into uncharted cinematic territory.”
‘Guardians’ ‘Good Morning India’ ‘ ‘Prerna: Hot and Cool’ ‘ Kahe Gaye Pardes Piya’ ‘The Dead End’ ‘The White Butterfly’ and ‘Ishq Samandar’ fame actor Tanveer Zaidi further said,
” What was meant to be a cult and a trendsetter film, however, ended up becoming just a hit, Trade Experts were expecting it as one of the highest box-office learners ever.” Belagaam and KGPP actor Tanveer Zaidi continued, ” While some praised Ra. One technological advancement, the criticism was also in the same amount as the expectation was too high, that gave an edge to the group of people who were jealous of SRK.”
Tanveer Zaidi, who is also known as Tanveer Allahabadi continued, ” Anubhav Sinha, the director of Ra.One celebrated for films like Mulk, Article 15, and Thappad, was alleged responsible for not getting a cult status despite of the huge budget and having the biggest Superstar Shah Rukh Khan.”
Reality show Mele Ka Big Star fame Tanveer Zaidi says, ” Anubhav Sinha had begun writing the script in 2006. Shah Rukh Khan announced the film amidst a press conference in Berlin.
…And here in India, Anubhav Sinha was bombarded with phone calls with greetings and wishes,
Although Ra. One was Sinha’s directorial vision, Anubhav Sinha admitted that he lost control of the project due to its sheer scale. Unlike his past films, where he was hands-on in every department, this time, he was surrounded by a global crew—an Italian cinematographer, an American VFX supervisor, and technicians who had worked on some of Hollywood’s biggest films.”
Tanveer Zaidi continued, “Anubhav Sinha was spending 18 hours a day with Shah Rukh Khan, managing a massive production. Everyone around him knew more about cinema than him. Anubhav Sinha was overwhelmed. However, SRK’s intelligence and charm ensured Anubhav Sinha never felt sidelined. SRK had a way of making you believe his ideas were yours. That’s how persuasive he is.
The film’s extravagant elements were also a result of this collaboration. The idea of bringing in international pop star Akon for Chammak Chalo wasn’t originally his. “It was Vishal-Shekhar’s idea. Anubhav Sinha called Shah Rukh Khan and said, ‘We need Akon. His response? ‘Let me try…’ And with Shah Rukh Khan, things just happen.”
The Allahabadi actor Tanveer Zaidi says, “Despite RaOne’s cutting-edge VFX and chartbuster soundtrack, Ra .One struggled to achieve what was expected, and the enemy group of Superstar Shah Rukh Khan was fully charged to drain out Ra. One since it started. Anubhav doesn’t shy away from taking the blame.
“The script was flawed. The editing wasn’t tight. The story’s attempt to appeal to every kind of audience ultimately hurt the film, but Ra. One wasn’t a loser. However, he still believes in the film’s storhasad potential.
Adding to the film not getting the ‘cult’ status was an undercurrent of negativity within the industry. By the second week, Anubhav realized the film wasn’t performing as expected. He was depressed. Anubhav spoke to Kishore Lulla in London, and he assured him that Shah Rukh Khan and he would get a good collection if not the status of a record breaker and cult film, even though the film didn’t do a blockbuster business theatrically.”
Actor Tanveer Zaidi says, “But what struck Anubhav the most was the silent opposition within Bollywood. Some people wanted Shah Rukh Khan to fail.” Tanveer Zaidisayss, ” Anubhav has been in the industry long enough to sense the jealousy for Shah Rukh Khan within Bollywood. When Shah Rukh finally admitted that the film didn’t do as expected, it was heartbreaking for maximum, and rivals were busy declaring ‘Ra. One is a flop show’.Though that wasn’t right, Anubhav Sinha felt like he had betrayed the film and his trust. he thought he couldn’t deliver a film that he could be proud of.”
Actor from Prayagraj (Allahabad), Tanveer Zaid,i tells, “When RaOncee released, it was positioned as India’s answer to Hollywood’s superhero spectacles. The film follows a scientist who creates an AI-powered game villain, Ra.One who eventually comes to life and wreaks havoc. Featuring groundbreaking visual effects, high-octane action sequences, and an international soundtrack, Ra .One was one of the most expensive Indian films ever made at the time.
The film set new benchmarks for VFX in Indian cinema. Many of its techniques paved the way for future big-budget films in Bollywood. While it didn’t get the ‘A cult film recognition& Sinha or SRK had envisioned Ra. One remains a bold experiment that pushed Indian filmmaking into new territories.”
Film actor Tanveer Zaidi continued, “Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha has stated that Shah Rukh Khan has faced hard times during the release of our Artificial intelligence-based film Ra.One, just because of groupism and internal rivalry.”
“What has happened to Game Changer, AirLift, just the opposite was done to Ra. O,” concludes Tanveer Zaidi.