Snehashish roy
Bollywood actor and director Divya Khossla recently addressed the controversial practice of “corporate bookings” and manipulation of box office figures in the film industry during a candid Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit. In a video response to users, Khossla labeled the situation “very sad,” asserting that such malpractices undermine genuine talent and merit.
Questioning Merit in Bollywood
Khossla’s remarks came as she responded to a fan who praised her for being “the boss” following the controversy surrounding the film Jigra. Rejecting the title, she stated, “I am not here to be the boss. There are certain things I have seen — the malpractices happening in the industry. I think whatever position I have created for myself, I should use that platform to speak about something that is truly wrong and happening right in front of my eyes. Because then where does merit stand? Shouldn’t it be on merit?”
The actor directly called out those who abuse their influence. “You do corporate bookings, you buy awards and indulge in all of this because you have power and money. So what about people who have none of these? Where does merit stand then?” she questioned.
The Problem of Fake Box Office Numbers
Khossla claimed that the issue of corporate bookings is widespread, affecting the vast majority of films released today. She expressed shock at the declared box office figures for many movies, stating they are nowhere near the actual collections.
“I think it’s not just with Jigra — corporate bookings are happening today in Bollywood with 90% of films. Whatever numbers are being declared shock me because the actual figures are nowhere close, and I think everyone in the industry and the audience knows this. It is very sad,” she reiterated.
According to Khossla, addressing this systemic issue requires the industry to unite as a community. However, she expressed pessimism, claiming that Bollywood is currently too fragmented for such collective action to take place.
The Jigra Controversy
The conversation about corporate bookings and fake collections gained traction following the release of Alia Bhatt’s film Jigra in 2024. Discussions emerged online about the film’s jailbreak plot having similarities to Khossla’s own film, Savi.
Soon after, Divya Khossla appeared to publicly accuse Alia Bhatt of manipulating box office figures. She shared a picture on Instagram showing an empty movie theatre and captioned it, “Went to Citi Mall PVR for the Jigra show. Theatre was totally empty… all theatres are empty everywhere. #Aliabhatt truly has a lot of #Jigra… bought her own tickets and announced fake collections. Wonder why paid media is silent. #WeShouldNotFoolTheAudience.”
While Alia Bhatt remained silent, producer Karan Johar, who is associated with Jigra, posted a cryptic note on social media: “Silence is the best answer you’ll ever give to fools.” Khossla, in turn, doubled down on her stance, writing, “Truth will always offend the fools opposed to it.”
Jigra ultimately recorded the weakest opening for an Alia Bhatt film since 2014, concluding its theatrical run with an approximate collection of $56.93$ crore against a reported budget of $80$ crore.
Divya Khossla’s Recent Project
Divya Khossla was recently seen in the film Ek Chatur Naar, where she starred alongside Neil Nitin Mukesh. Directed by Umesh Shukla and written by Jay Pravinchandra Master and Shukla, the film also features Chhaya Kadam, Sushant Singh, Zakir Hussain, Yashpal Sharma, and Geeta Agarwal Sharma in key roles. The movie received mixed reviews upon release and is currently available for streaming on Netflix.