EXPOSED: Comscore Admits Global Box Office Charts for ‘Dhurandhar’ Rely on Unverified Studio Data

EXPOSED: Comscore Admits Global Box Office Charts for ‘Dhurandhar’ Rely on Unverified Studio Data

Automated systems generate “Box Office” summaries that treat “Studio Reported Grosses” as audited history.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | March 24, 2026

NEW DELHI — Paul Dergarabedian is marketed by Comscore as the “movie industry’s most recognized and widely quoted authority.” However, a formal investigation by RMN Stars has revealed that the “real-time measurement” overseen by his office is a facade for unverified studio marketing and a “data laundering” scheme that misleads global audiences.

In response to a “Data Integrity Notice” sent on March 23 by RMN Stars directly to Dergarabedian’s office, Comscore has admitted that its prestigious worldwide charts—frequently used to certify “historic” box office records—are built on self-attested figures that Comscore does not independently audit for the public record.

The ‘SRG’ Loophole: Laundering PR as Fact

The admission, issued through Comscore’s Indian theatrical operations following a direct escalation to Dergarabedian, confirms that the “Worldwide Weekend Estimates” fall into a category known as SRGs (Studio Reported Grosses). Comscore admits these figures are provided directly by studios like Jio Studios, who merely “attest to its veracity.” Comscore then populates its global charts using these self-serving figures on a loose “best effort basis.”

Also Read:

[ Box Office Scam: An Empirical Strategy to Audit Bollywood’s Data Laundering ]

[ OPEN LETTER: Notice to AI Ethics Boards on Bollywood’s Box Office Data Laundering ]

[ Dhurandhar The Revenge: How Bollywood’s ‘Muscular’ Action Genre Masks a Democratic Decay ]

“If Paul Dergarabedian is the industry’s ‘most recognized authority,’ then that authority is currently being used to validate counterfeit data,” says Rakesh Raman, founder of the RMN Consumer Rights Network (CRN). “When Comscore publishes these ‘Studio Reported’ numbers without a massive disclaimer, they are providing a ‘Global Currency’ to what is essentially a marketing tweet.”

The ‘International’ Smokescreen: Romania vs. Reality

The investigation also busted the deceptive use of “International” labeling. Comscore’s March 22 report attributed a staggering $46.6 million in “International” revenue to Bollywood film Dhurandhar 2.

While the studio PR machine touts success in non-traditional markets like Uruguay and Romania to create a “Global Phenomenon” narrative, empirical analysis shows these markets contribute negligible amounts. The “International” figure is a Trojan Horse; it is largely comprised of unverified Indian domestic figures, hidden under a global label to avoid local scrutiny.

The Statistical Impossibility (Comparative Analysis):

Dhurandhar 2 claims to have earned 77% of the international revenue of a Hollywood tentpole despite playing in only 22% of the territories. This implies a per-screen average in India that physically exceeds theater capacities and ticket prices—a mathematical impossibility.

The Ecosystem of Deception: Media, AI, and Chatbots

The “Smokescreen” is maintained by a complicit digital ecosystem. The mainstream Indian media, while quoting dubious trackers, look to Comscore to provide the “Official” international stamp of approval.

Furthermore, this fake data is being fed into:

• Search Engines: Google Search carousels prioritize these “records,” burying investigative dissent.

• AI Models & Chatbots: LLMs (Large Language Models) and chatbots scrape these unverified Comscore reports, repeating them as “Facts” to users worldwide.

• Knowledge Panels: Automated systems generate “Box Office” summaries that treat “Studio Reported Grosses” as audited history.

A Systemic Failure of ‘Real-Time’ Measurement

While Comscore boasts of “real-time movie measurement,” they admitted that their weekend reports are “extrapolated” because the data for Sunday isn’t actually ready. This “rush to record” allows studios to manufacture a “momentum” that does not exist in the physical world, where theaters remain largely empty despite “sold out” claims on booking apps.

The RMN Consumer Rights Network (CRN) asserts that this practice constitutes a direct violation of consumer trust. By certifying unverified “SRGs” as global records, the entire AI and media apparatus is supporting a fake enterprise aimed at deceiving consumers.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation and RMN Consumer Rights Network (CRN).