Latest news with #GirishWankhede
NDTV
4 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
Thug Life: More Gain Than Loss Due to Controversy?
New Delhi: Kamal Haasan's film Thug Life will not release in Karnataka — but will that really hurt the film? According to film industry experts, the producers might face a loss of around Rs 12 crore, which is significantly less compared to the publicity the film has received due to the controversy. For the promotion of any big-budget film, producers usually spend anywhere between Rs 30 to 50 crore — without any guarantee of how much profit the film will eventually earn. Before the controversy, Thug Life had very little buzz. But ever since the controversy erupted, the film has consistently remained in the news. The film's case is still under judicial consideration, but outside of Karnataka, it is all set to release nationwide tomorrow — Thursday, June 5. Film trade analyst Girish Wankhede says, 'The film not releasing in Karnataka may lead to a loss of Rs 7 to 8 crore. But if we consider that amount as part of the film's marketing spend — which has significantly increased its visibility and generated buzz — then this loss could actually turn into a gain. The whole world now knows that Thug Life is a film starring Kamal Haasan, directed by Mani Ratnam, with music by AR Rahman. Before the controversy, the film barely had any attention.' Film distributor and cinema owner Raj Bansal adds, 'The film's advance booking in Hindi alone stands at approximately Rs 65 lakh. Across all languages, its advance bookings have already crossed Rs 10 crore — and this number is expected to grow further before the release.' Kamal Haasan's last release Indian 2 was a box office flop. His last blockbuster, Vikram, had a stellar run, earning Rs 247.32 crore net in India and Rs 414.43 crore worldwide.
Economic Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Insider job? Pirated versions of Hindi films surface days before box office release
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Mumbai: Marquee Hindi films such as Sikandar, Jaat, Raid 2 and The Bhootnii were leaked online, kneecapping their run at the box office at birth, according to film trade films were released on pirated and illegal web sites and applications on Thursday, a day before their formal release, bucking a pirating practice of releasing new films a day after their run at cinemas."There is a growing trend of movies, especially Hindi and Tamil films, being leaked on the day before the release. In such cases, the role of an insider is suspected," said a senior Maharashtra police officer."Piracy before the day of release of a film implies that it is an insider job. There are three channels through which a film can get leaked. They are post-production studios, content delivery agencies and nefarious elements in exhibition companies," said Girish Wankhede, a movie trade analyst.A recent EY study with the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) showed that 51% of media consumers access content from pirated sources. There are four key sources of piracy: illegal streaming platforms, mobile applications, spreading of pirated links on social media, and report noted that instant messaging platform Telegram is a widely preferred platform for consumers of pirated content and pirates alike as it allows transfer of files up to 2 GB. According to the report, in 2023, theatres and the streaming industry lost '13,700 crore and '8,700 crore, respectively, due to said the new trend of piracy before release is largely connected with how strong the buzz or interest that a film has generated before its release."A pre-release leak is not just piracy-it is economic sabotage. It destroys a film's theatrical potential, jeopardises digital (streaming) and satellite deals, and kills audience curiosity before the first show," said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder & director, Karmic Films. "The buzz or interest around a film is a key factor whether a film's print gets leaked before or after its release," Wadhwa veterans said it was critical to follow a multi-layered approach which covers legality, technology and systemic aspects associated with piracy. They suggest that the increasing use of AI and collaboration with technology companies such as BLOCK X Technologies, which spot sites and other sources of pirated content, must be the norm in the industry to reduce piracy in the industry."To avoid piracy, with help of right stakeholders, we are working on a technology which will break a movie into three parts and these three parts can only be joined with a password," said Wankhede.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Insider job? Pirated versions of Hindi films surface days before box office release
Mumbai: Marquee Hindi films such as Sikandar, Jaat, Raid 2 and The Bhootnii were leaked online, kneecapping their run at the box office at birth, according to film trade sources. These films were released on pirated and illegal web sites and applications on Thursday, a day before their formal release, bucking a pirating practice of releasing new films a day after their run at cinemas. "There is a growing trend of movies, especially Hindi and Tamil films, being leaked on the day before the release. In such cases, the role of an insider is suspected," said a senior Maharashtra police officer. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Undo "Piracy before the day of release of a film implies that it is an insider job. There are three channels through which a film can get leaked. They are post-production studios, content delivery agencies and nefarious elements in exhibition companies," said Girish Wankhede, a movie trade analyst. Live Events A recent EY study with the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) showed that 51% of media consumers access content from pirated sources. There are four key sources of piracy: illegal streaming platforms, mobile applications, spreading of pirated links on social media, and torrents. The report noted that instant messaging platform Telegram is a widely preferred platform for consumers of pirated content and pirates alike as it allows transfer of files up to 2 GB. According to the report, in 2023, theatres and the streaming industry lost '13,700 crore and '8,700 crore, respectively, due to piracy. Producers said the new trend of piracy before release is largely connected with how strong the buzz or interest that a film has generated before its release. "A pre-release leak is not just piracy-it is economic sabotage. It destroys a film's theatrical potential, jeopardises digital (streaming) and satellite deals, and kills audience curiosity before the first show," said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder & director, Karmic Films. "The buzz or interest around a film is a key factor whether a film's print gets leaked before or after its release," Wadhwa added. Industry veterans said it was critical to follow a multi-layered approach which covers legality, technology and systemic aspects associated with piracy. They suggest that the increasing use of AI and collaboration with technology companies such as BLOCK X Technologies, which spot sites and other sources of pirated content, must be the norm in the industry to reduce piracy in the industry. "To avoid piracy, with help of right stakeholders, we are working on a technology which will break a movie into three parts and these three parts can only be joined with a password," said Wankhede.
India.com
21-05-2025
- India.com
Rs 22,400 crore scandal revealed, how film piracy scam is devastating the Indian entertainment industry
Piracy has been a global issue faced by almost every film industry across the globe. Surprisingly, India is the world leader for online video piracy with approximately 90.3 million users. Second on the list is Indonesia with 47.5 million and the Philippines with 31.1 million users. A report by Media Partners Asia, studied by Economic Times and EY, backed the study. The Indian film industry has been the victim of online video piracy. Days before a film gets a theatrical release, the film has already been available on multiple pirated sites. Films like Raid 2, Sikandar, Jaat, and many such films fell prey to piracy and were reportedly released a day before the release date. A senior Maharashtra police officer, during a conversation with ET, highlighted the growing concerns of Indian films being leaked on multiple sites ahead of it's premiere. 'There is a growing trend of movies, especially Hindi and Tamil films, being leaked on the day before the release. In such cases, the role of an insider is suspected,' said the police officer. Trade analyst Girish Wankhede emphasised the key points where leaking films is likely to be an insider's job. 'Piracy before the day of release of a film implies that it is an insider job… post-production studios, content delivery agencies, and nefarious elements in exhibition companies,' highlighted Girish. A report by EY-IAMAI Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) found that a majority of 51 per cent of Indian users consume pirated content. The source was likely to be illegal streaming platforms, mobile apps, social media, torrents, and many more. Most importantly, application like Telegram allows users to download large files, contributing to many pirating of content. Adding further, Subhash Chandra, chairman Emeritus of Zee and Essel Group, highlighted that 'Pirated content has been one of the quietest sources.' 'Terror networks don't survive on ideology alone. They survive on money, and pirated contents is one of their quietest sources,' said Zee In a shocking turn of events, a report of 2023 revealed that pirated content alone caused a huge loss of Rs 13,700 crore for theatres and Rs 8,700 crore for OTT platforms running in India. The report further revealed that pirated content has severely affected mid to small budget films. On the other hand, big-budget films manage to cut a deal with multiple streaming platforms despite the content leak. Many producers assert that their films become a target when there's a buzz during the pre-release of a film. Looking forward to the likelihood of becoming the next target, many turn to online piracy. Although online piracy inflicts a financial drain, it increases public viewership. To tackle online piracy, industry experts are pushing forward for a 'multi-layered' technology, pushing piracy to the far end. Trade expert Girish highlighted that companies are building and practicing dividing films into three encrypted parts, which can only be accessed by a password verification. However, this technology is currently under development, but it is likely to prove effective against online piracy. A company, BLOCK X Technologies, is collaborating with production houses to filter out pirated content with the advancement of Artificial Intelligence. This is likely to help eliminate pirated content with the help of AI bots. This technology is proposed for long-term use in the industry.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
From Raid 2 to Jaat: Pirates strike films just before the premiere
Marquee Hindi films such as Sikandar, Jaat, Raid 2 and The Bhootnii were leaked online, kneecapping their run at the box office at birth. These films were released on pirated and illegal web sites and applications on Thursday, a day before their formal release, bucking a pirating practice of releasing new films a day after their run at cinemas. "There is a growing trend of movies, especially Hindi and Tamil films, being leaked on the day before the release. In such cases, the role of an insider is suspected," said a senior Maharashtra police officer. "Piracy before the day of release of a film implies that it is an insider job. There are three channels through which a film can get leaked. They are post-production studios, content delivery agencies and nefarious elements in exhibition companies," said Girish Wankhede, a movie trade analyst. Sources of Piracy Language preferences Illegal Streamers 63% Hindi 40% Mobile Apps 16% English 31% Social Media 10% South Indian 23% Torrents 6% Others 6% Others 5% Source: EY-IAMAI anti-piracy report A recent EY study with the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) showed that 51% of media consumers access content from pirated sources. There are four key sources of piracy: illegal streaming platforms, mobile applications, spreading of pirated links on social media, and torrents. The report noted that instant messaging platform Telegram is a widely preferred platform for consumers of pirated content and pirates alike as it allows transfer of files up to 2 GB. According to the report, in 2023, theatres and the streaming industry lost Rs 13700 crore and Rs 8700 crore respectively due to piracy. Producers said the new trend of piracy before release is largely connected with how strong the buzz or interest that a film has generated before its release. 'A pre-release leak is not just piracy—it is economic sabotage. It destroys a film's theatrical potential, jeopardises digital (streaming) and satellite deals, and kills audience curiosity before the first show,' said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder & director, Karmic Films. "The buzz or interest around a film is a key factor whether a film's print gets leaked before or after its release, " Wadhwa added. Industry veterans said it was critical to follow a multi-layered approach which covers legality, technology and systemic aspects associated with piracy. They suggest that the increasing use of AI and collaboration with technology companies such as BLOCK X Technologies, which spot sites and other sources of pirated content, must be the norm in the industry to reduce piracy in the industry. Country wise Online Video Piracy (2024) Country Piracy users (mn) India 90.3 Indonesia 47.5 Philipines 31.1 Thailand 18.2 Vietnam 16 Source: Media Partners Asia report "To avoid piracy, with help of right stakeholders, we are working on a technology which will break a movie into three parts and these three parts can only be joined with a password, " said Wankhede. One of the repercussions of rampant piracy is it impacts the earnings' prospects of mid-and-small budget films more than big-budget ones because even after piracy, streamers buy big-budget films.
