Eight days after the release of Eid films, confusion continues to surround box office figures in Dhallywood, as varying claims about ticket sales circulate across social media and film-related groups.
For the same films, some reports suggest earnings of up to Tk 4 crore, while others claim figures closer to Tk 2 crore, leaving audiences and industry insiders uncertain about the actual performance.
Several of these groups have cited Star Cineplex as a source of revenue data. However, Mesbah Uddin Ahmed, Senior Manager of the cinema chain’s Media and Marketing Department, told Prothom Alo that Star Cineplex has not officially disclosed any earnings figures.
“We have not made any statements regarding a film’s earnings. Those referring to us are using our online ticket sales and show counts to estimate figures. Some of that information may be credible. For instance, if there are 100 shows, they calculate how many are houseful and how many seats remain empty, then publish their estimates. Accessing such data online is not difficult at this time,” he said.
Industry insiders note that while earnings figures for one or two films may be relatively accurate, most circulating data remains speculative. Some also allege that misleading information is being intentionally spread.
Producer Shahriar Shakil of “Domm” said the film is performing well but cautioned against relying on unofficial figures.
“Most of the earnings data being circulated is not accurate. Some are sharing fabricated numbers. As there is no official box office system in place, we are not in a position to provide verified figures at this moment,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tanim Noor, director of “Bonolota Express”, acknowledged the presence of conflicting information but shared verified data from his production team.
“We have seen different figures about our film’s earnings in various places. While some are credible, many are incorrect. We aim to publish accurate information. After Eid, we shared ticket sales for the first four days, which exceeded Tk 1 crore. As of yesterday, our eight-day earnings stand at Tk 2.26 crore,” he said.
He further clarified that some commonly cited figures refer to gross sales rather than net earnings. “Many have taken data from our page, which is fine. However, claims that the total earnings are between Tk 1 to 2 crore are inaccurate, as those figures represent gross sales,” he added.
Of the five films released during Eid, the remaining three—“Prince,” “Rakkhosh,” and “Pressure Cooker”—have yet to officially disclose any earnings data.
