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Fudging Figures?

Industry insiders say that the collections of the Hrithik Roshan-starrer Krrish 3 are exaggerated and it hasn't touched Rs200 crore, and is unlikely to reach that figure

Upala KBR

l A leading financial paper reported: Krrish 3 is fastest film to enter Rs200-cr club with its box-office collections putting in shade Shah Rukh Khan's Chennai Express.

l A reputed weekly national magazine said: The film has beaten the lifetime collection of Ek Tha Tiger and 3 Idiots, thus becoming the second highest grosser of all time after Chennai Express.

l A website of a news channel claimed: According to trade, the film has entered the Rs200-crore club thanks to its collections in India alone.

Truth? "No," says a trade analyst who doesn't wish to be named. The Roshans' latest film (now running in its third week) has upset Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman Khan as the trade figures given out are inflated and K3 is being touted the highest domestic Bollywood grosser of all time. While the fact is that while the figures are correct they are gross figures, not net (like the Khans' films) and also these figures include earnings from Hindi, Tamil, Telugu versions. While the figures of the three films named are net collections, only Hindi and only national. So if you calculate Krrish 3's collections that way, the net figure is at Rs183 crore (only in Hindi) and Rs194 all three languages in India till Tuesday.

Says an industry source, "The Roshans were in a hurry to prove that Krrish3 broke all records including Aamir's 3 Idiots (Rs 202 crore), Salman's Ek Tha Tiger (Rs197.14 crore) and Chennai Express (Rs 227 crore). CE remains the all-time highest grosser and also the highest opening day grosser in India."

Rakesh Roshan says, "Till Tuesday the all India net collection was Rs237 crore while the international was Rs54 crore. I don't know about Krrish 3 breaking the records of Chennai Express but I know my figures and I feel elated. We have put in so much of honesty and sincerity in the film. I am sure other films will break our records too but that doesn't matter. It gives me an incentive to make better films, that's all."

Reacting to the accusation that the box-office figures are not as accurate as they have been presented, Roshan says, "I'm not in a position to fudge the figures by Rs40-50 crore. People don't know the exact figures but I get all the figures from all over India in the morning. People just go by assumptions and know only 70% box-office while I know 100%. We opened at 4,300 screens."

upala.kbr@dnaindia.net