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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.
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.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
All quiet on Bollywood front: Producers postpone launches, delay promotions as border tensions dent confidence
Geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan have significantly impacted the Hindi film industry, leading to delayed promotions, postponed releases, and potential losses of ₹150-200 crore. Uncertainty in theatrical performance and low producer confidence further contribute to the industry's woes, with some films opting for direct streaming releases. While some believe the impact will be minimal, others fear substantial financial repercussions. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Mumbai: The military conflict between India and Pakistan seems to have had an unproportionate impact on the Hindi film industry, with many filmmakers delaying promotional and marketing activities, and postponing, or even shelving, film and trailer industry is staring at an estimated or potential loss of '150-200 crore in the form of cost of capital and deferred revenues due to this, according to producers and trade analysts."In these times of geopolitical unrest, cinema pauses not from the lack of creativity but from caution," said Suniel Wadhwa, a veteran film distributor and co-founder and director at Karmic Films. "There are losses in the form of delayed cash, sunk costs, interest on idle capital, broken contracts, and missed momentum. These will have a ripple impact on producers, promotional and advertising agencies, theatres, financiers, and even streamers," he said."I think more than '700-800-crore worth of Hindi films stand vulnerable at this stage," Wadhwa be sure, there has already been a sense of uncertainty around theatre attendance in the industry, fuelled by a series of box-office flops and an overall decline in collections in recent months, largely due to shifting audience launch of Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7, and the subsequent military conflict further dampened the mood among producers of several Hindi films slated for release in May and of Kesari Veer and Housefull 5 stalled promotional activities, while those behind Sitaare Zameen Par and Thug Life postponed the releases of their trailer and audio soundtrack, respectively. Producers of mid-budget film Bhul Chuk Maaf opted to forego theatre release entirely and instead debut the film on a streaming veteran trade analysts attributed a part of such actions to low confidence among producers."Even though one cannot rule out the impact of Indo-Pak conflict on cinema, one also has to consider that a big reason behind delaying releases is low confidence of producers to release films in theatres due to increasing unpredictability in theatrical performance of films," said Shaaminder Malik, a film distributor and trade analyst. "Consequently, there are makers of upcoming big-budget films who are planning to release their films directly on streamers after their teasers and trailers received unfavourable response," he production of the sequel of the film Sanam Teri Kasam, which performed well on its re-release recently, may get delayed because the main actor has declined to work with the main actress because she is from industry insiders believe the impact would be minimal as the border tensions have eased and life has returned to normal in most of the country since India and Pakistan agreed to stop military action on Saturday."I think films scheduled to release in May will be impacted. But releases in June will not be impacted that much," producer Rajesh R Nair said. "But I think Hollywood releases in May will be a saving grace as these franchise films have a huge following in India and their makers are not postponing their release."
