Indian Box Office Verdicts

Note: This article was first published way back in 2007.

Indian Box office verdicts are usually confusing. A few movies are called Blockbusters by the media even though they are just Semi-hit to Hit. A few movies which go into overflow are termed Flops.

Also many of you might have wondered on what basis a verdict is given out on a movie. How does the trade define a movie as a Hit, Flop, Superhit, Blockbuster. Hopefully this article will clear all your doubts.

Gross collections – Total collections at the box office.

Nett Gross (Raw collections) – Is the total gross minus entertainment tax which is usually around 30%. When the government decides to waive off the taxes of a certain film, it goes tax-free. In which case, no entertainment taxes will be paid by the producers / distributors.

Circuit: The area for which a distributor buys the distribution rights for a film for a period of (generally) 5 or 7 or 10 years.

Ratio: The price for which a film is sold for Bombay circuit. Prices for all other circuits are determined as a fixed percentage of the ratio. For example, Delhi-U.P. is usually 80 to 85% of the ratio. But in the case of action films, which have a bigger market in North India, Delhi-U.P. may be sold for 100% of the ratio.

Flop: If a film cant even cover its investment by the distributor, it is termed a flop.

Average: If a film manages to simply recover its cost, it is an average fare.

Commission Earner: When a film recovers the investment and, over and above that, gets in revenues of 25% more, it is termed a commission earner. Thus, if the distributor?s total investment in a film is Rs. 2 crore, and it does a business of Rs. 2.50 crore, it is termed a commission earner. 25% of Rs. 2 crore is Rs. 50 lakh which is the amount of commission which belongs to the distributor to cover his expenses of releasing the film.

Overflow: When a film crosses the commission mark, the revenues thereafter are to be shared between the producer and distributor. The producer gets a share in the overflow business, generally fifty-fifty. Such sharing makes the film an overflow film. Overflow films can be further categorised as under, depending on the quantum of overflow.

Semi-Hit: A film which does a business that is double the distributor’s investment in it, is termed a semi-hit. In such a case, the producer gets handsome overflow from the distributor.

Hit: If a film more than doubles its investment in the distributor’s hands, it is deemed to be a hit.

Super-Hit: If the returns on a film are much more than double the investment, it is termed a super-hit.

Blockbuster: Returns are almost triple the investment.

ALL TIME BLOCKBUSTER: When returns are more than triple the investment i.e more than 300%.

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26 Comments

  • If chennai express cross 205cr mark then it will become atbb, its almost certain, its interesting to see will ce break 3i record with in 2nd week or take some more time, 200cr club is waiting for king khan.

  • THEN @INDICINE !! Why you declared RA.ONE HIT….
    After all its indian box office business only 114 CRE AND BUDGET IS MORE THEN ITS COLLECTION..

  • @roy
    the worldwide collection of ra one is 240crore….which is double than its cost.
    dont forget the overseas collection of srk movies…

  • disaster: almost no revenues at all
    flop: revenues cant recover even the budget
    average: r hardly recovered its budget
    semi-hit: revenues are double of the budget
    hit: revenues are more than double of the budget for the distributor
    superhit: revenues are more than the double for the producer
    blockbuster revenues are 3 times of the budget
    all time blockbuster: revenues are more than 3 times of the budget
    overlook
    Commission Earner and overflow cause they are redundant

  • @jatt
    I know the overseas collection of ra.one…

    But remember SHHRUKH Khan privious -JAB TAK HAI JAAN & DON 2 both movie overseas BLOCKBUSTER but in INDIA both movie was verdict only HIT…
    TI mean to say overseas market is not important to box office indai for verdict

  • @indicine admin..
    Can you explain what is lifetime called for a movie?
    its mean by all show for a movie for single show also counted..

    Already lifetime for BMB declared but movie is still running in theaters.

  • Then why Aashiqui 2 is not being termed as ATBB ?
    It was made on a budget of 8 cr and collection 10 times 85 cr o.O

  • @Indicine, as per you

    Semi-Hit: A film which does a business that is double the distributor’s investment in it, is termed a semi-hit. In such a case, the producer gets handsome overflow from the distributor.

    Hit: If a film more than doubles its investment in the distributor’s hands, it is deemed to be a hit.

    Super-Hit: If the returns on a film are much more than double the investment, it is termed a super-hit.

    If that is the case, then Kai Po Che which had a budget of 30 cr only collected 49 cr, then why did you give the status as superhit?

  • Very good article but you missed Disaster,Below Avg,Above Avg as these terms were also in general use

  • chennai express budget is 63 cr. So it need more than 189 cr to become ATTB. Already ce collected 182 cr. So it is 200% sure it will be a ATTB.

  • @nipun k3 needs 250cr and d3 needs 200cr to be named as blockbust. 300cr plus make atbb which is impossible, anything less than 150cr is average grosser.

  • Ra.One is flop. Jab tab hai Jaan is average and Chennai Express is just super hit. In the third week, CE will drops. It will not break the Ek tha tiger and 3 Idiots records. CE is useless and brainless movie where as 3 Idiots and Dabangg were marvellous films. CE will not become ATBB for sure. It will not run in the theatres for long period and only hakla’s fans watched the film.

  • CE will not cross the 3Idiots record. CE will not become ATBB because except hakla’s fans nobody watched the film. CE will not run for long period like 3-Idiots or Dabangg.

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