Did Vicky Kaushal's Chhaava and Akshay Kumar's Sky Force resort to block bookings? Director Sandeep Kewlani responds to allegations

Akshay Kumar was recently seen in an action drama film titled Sky Force. The film also featured Veer Pahariya, who made his acting debut. The actioner was released on January 24, 2025, during the Republic Day weekend, and it won the hearts of the audience with its high-octane content. After multiple flops in the kitty, Akshay finally enjoyed a Rs 100 crore film after a long time. But recently, it was reported that the makers of Sky Force manipulated the box office numbers and opted for block bookings. Vicky Kaushal's film Chhaava has also been accused of the same since both movies are backed by Maddock Films. Amid the ongoing chatter, Sky Force director Sandeep Kewlani broke silence on the same. 

Sky Force director responds to block booking claims

Recently, senior journalist Komal Nahata accused Maddock Films of resorting to block bookings to influence the box office numbers of their film. What is block booking? It is when a production house or an actor buys multiple tickets for their film and the ticketing app shows that the tickets are being sold out fast. This happens to create a positive image and amp up the buzz before the release. 

In a recent interview with News 18, the director of Akshay Kumar's Sky Force reacted to Komal Nahata's claims and said that he shouldn't have taken any names in front of the public. Although he respects him a lot, Sandeep Kewlani said that the senior journalist won't gain anything by defaming a film. On the other hand, he said that if this was the case, Nahata should have named every film from the last 5 years that he thinks has done block bookings. 

Sandeep denied the claims against Maddock Films and instead defended his film Sky Force as well as Vicky Kaushal's Chhaava, which is performing fabulously at the box office. He said, "As for Chhaava or Sky Force, our collections are genuinely organic and there have been no block bookings. This is the audience’s love. It has been nearly 20 days since the picture was released, and even today I get messages daily on Instagram and Twitter from viewers who have loved the film. Our work is over once the film is made and has reached the public. How much a film is earning is not something you will remember in the long term. If your favourite film is Munna Bhai and I ask you about its box office collection, you won’t know today. In the long run, the film’s collection doesn’t matter. The impact of the film and how long it stays with you becomes important."

'The audience doesn’t care about the collection'

The director further said that the box office collections of any film shouldn't be told to the public. He said that the audience should be the decider if they want to see the film or not. But he also said that if one wants to report about the collections, it should be done once the film ends its theatrical run. He added, "Right now, there are hourly reports. It’s like a vegetable market. These trade people and YouTubers who think they are critics share 2-hourly reports. Is this the share market? I laugh at it. Is this the direction that we’re moving in? Will we get 15-minute reports in the future? What does the audience care? They will come to the theatre for entertainment." He also claimed that the audience doesn't care about the collection as they know what they want to watch.

As of now, Vicky and Rashmika Mandanna's Chhaava has crossed the Rs 100 crore mark at the box office. Extra midnight and morning shows have been added due to immense demand. 

ALSO READ: Chhaava box office collection day 3: Vicky Kaushal starrer surpasses Rs 100 crore milestone smoothly showing a monstrous growth