Filmmaker Karan Johar has taken a rather curt stance on the trend of corporate booking in Hindi cinema. The term refers to the practice of filmmakers and studios themselves buying tickets of their own films in bulk to inflate the box office collections. Karan has laughed at the practice and said people can do what makes them happy, but the audience ‘does not care’.

Karan Johar on corporate booking in Bollywood

Speaking on Komal Nahta’s Game Changers podcast, Karan was asked about the trend of producers buying tickets of their own films, and the filmmaker responded, “Everybody does what they have to. If I decide to give myself ₹1 crore, and then I celebrate, have a party at night that I have earned ₹1 crore. Am I a fool, or am I an intelligent man? I leave that for you to decide. That is the only answer I have on this. If you are doing this for yourself and you are happy, please do it. You are spending on yourself, so why should anyone judge you for spending your own money? You are happy and putting it out on social media.”

As Komal Nahta interrupted and asked whether the practice defames the film industry, Karan answered, “The industry is defaming itself. All these corporate booking numbers are peddled by the industry people. What does the audience care about, corporate or desperate? The audience only looks at whether the film is good or bad. I don’t know where this term has even come from. It is called self-booking. There are agencies now filling the seats if you pay them. That has also started. Sometimes it helps films in giving that kickstart energy.”

The debate around corporate booking

There has been much debate about how prevalent corporate booking is in Hindi cinema, with many filmmakers being accused of inflating the box office collections of their films by putting in their own money. While trade pundits have called it harmful as it erodes the credibility of box office reportage, most people agree that it does little for any film’s long-term legacy.