Michael and Bhooth Bangla: TOI and Screen Deploy Dubious Portals to Hide Box Office Fraud

This manufactured success is further debunked by the Official RMN Stars Movie Anticipation Index (3/5) for Michael.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | April 27, 2026

The global cinema market is currently being flooded with unverified and statistically impossible revenue data, as mainstream media outlets like The Times of India (TOI) and Screen (The Indian Express) serve as conduits for the “Box Office Mafia.” By utilizing vague legal disclaimers and dubious “trade portals,” these organizations are effectively laundering fraudulent data into the public record to mask artistic failure and promote a state-aligned narrative.

The Bhooth Bangla Racket: Rs 113 Crore Manufactured from ‘Estimates’

On April 27, 2026, The Times of India published a report claiming that the Akshay Kumar-starrer Bhooth Bangla netted Rs 113.40 crore by its second Sunday. Simultaneously, Screen ran a “Live Update” feed—treating the commercial performance of a “repulsive” horror-comedy with the same urgency as a national crisis—claiming the film has earned over Rs 179 crore globally.

A forensic audit of these reports reveals a standardized protocol of deception:

• The Buffer System: Both outlets often cite “early estimates” from a dubious trade portal. This allows the media houses to report astronomical numbers without taking responsibility for their accuracy.

• The Math Deficit: Comscore’s own reports for the weekend ending April 26 show a Worldwide Cumulative of $21.6 Million (~Rs 180 Crore). However, the math does not hold: if the film earned $10M in its first weekend and $4.7M in its second, the claimed “Cume” requires an unexplained $7 Million in mid-week earnings that do not appear in any audited theater ledger.

• The Gleichschaltung Connection: The push for Bhooth Bangla is part of a broader effort to sustain the market value of “toady” actors like Akshay Kumar, whose career is now a component of state-managed perception.

The Michael Discrepancy: $217 Million ‘Actuals’ vs. Global Skepticism

The Hollywood biopic Michael also presents a case of institutional tracking friction. While Lionsgate initially projected a domestic opening of $60 million, Comscore reported a massive $97 million domestic and $217.4 million global debut.

• The Objective: By reporting figures that far exceed early projections, the “Gleichschaltung gang” manufactures a narrative of “unprecedented momentum” to drown out critical reviews, which currently sit at a dismal 38% on Rotten Tomatoes.

• The Forensic Reality: This manufactured success is further debunked by the Official RMN Stars Movie Anticipation Index (3/5) for Michael. While the studio uses Comscore to claim “universal” demand, the RMN Stars index shows a significantly more tempered and realistic level of public interest.

• The Contrast: Unlike the “MULTI” tag used for Bhooth Bangla, Michael utilizes UPI (United International Pictures), yet the scale of the “overperformance” suggests a strategic manipulation of the tracking system to secure a “Blockbuster” status for an estate-approved narrative.

TOI and Screen: Hiding Behind the Disclaimer

The most damning evidence of this fraud is found in the Disclaimer sections of these media reports. The Times of India explicitly states:

“The box office numbers and data in this article are compiled from diverse public and industry sources… provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.”

This is a clinical admission that the data is not factual reporting. By labeling box office numbers as “entertainment,” TOI and Screen (The Indian Express) are admitting they are part of the “Big, Fat Liars” network described by filmmaker Karan Johar in 2024.

The Suppression of RMN Stars

Despite having established credentials in India and abroad, the forensic views of trade portals like RMN Stars are systematically excluded from these live feeds. This is because a forensic audit—which highlights the “repulsive” quality of the films and the lack of ticket-stub verification—would dismantle the “consensus of success” required by the Box Office Mafia.

Conclusion: The $10.1 Million weekend for Bhooth Bangla and the $217 Million for Michael are not reflections of audience interest; they are corporate entries in a state-protected ledger. Independent cinema and factual reporting have been replaced by a clinical racket where the trademarks of tracking agencies are used to protect the liars.