At a time when opening weekend figures and lifetime collections often determine how long a film survives in cinemas, box office numbers have become an important part of Bollywood’s publicity machinery. From influencing audience perception to dictating screen allocations, the figures shape the narrative around a film’s success or failure. However, filmmaker Anubhav Sinha believes the obsession with numbers has gone too far. In a recent interview with Screen, the director said he does not want to publicise the box office figures of his latest release, Assi, arguing that such statistics have turned into “good gossip” rather than meaningful indicators of a film’s worth.
Anubhav Sinha doesn’t want to show Assi’s box office numbers
Speaking about the culture of headline-grabbing collections, Anubhav said he hopes audiences do not take Assi’s box office numbers too seriously. “The numbers are good gossip. I hope the audience gets it. They don’t understand what’s gross worldwide, gross India, and net India. They don’t know the producer gets only less than 50% of the reported figure. ₹400 crore, ₹700 crore and ₹800 crore are all very aspirational figures, no? But I hope the audience doesn’t take these numbers seriously,” he said.
The filmmaker further added that if it were entirely up to him, he would avoid sharing box office figures altogether, regardless of whether they were strong or underwhelming. “If I could, I wouldn’t announce my numbers, no matter how good or bad. I don’t think I can stop it. I’ll do my best. I’ll fight tooth and nail to not release our film’s poster with all the star ratings. But sometimes, you get overwritten,” he said.
Interestingly, in an interview with Hindustan Times, Anubhav had expressed confidence in the film’s theatrical prospects. “The audience is waiting for Assi, not specifically Assi, the film, but a film like Assi. On previous occasions, we didn’t serve it to them conveniently,” he said, suggesting that there is a demand for socially relevant storytelling.
About Assi
Helmed by Anubhav Sinha, Assi derives its title from the 80 rape cases reportedly registered in the country each day. The courtroom drama stars Taapsee Pannu as a lawyer fighting to secure justice for a survivor, played by Kani Kusruti, who is abducted and sexually assaulted by a group of men. Produced by T-Series, the film also features Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Kumud Mishra, Supriya Pathak and Manoj Pahwa, with cameo appearances by Naseeruddin Shah and Divya Dutta.
At the box office, Assi has clashed with Do Deewane Seher Mein, starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Mrunal Thakur, setting up a contrast between a hard-hitting courtroom drama and a romantic entertainer.