New Delhi: It created a lot of hullabaloo when Shahid Kapoor starrr ‘Udta Punjab’ leaked online two days before release on June 17.
The movie was stuck in a controversy with the Censor Board over certification and later the censor copy of ‘Udta Punjab’ went viral before the movie hit the theatres.
And now another movie has become the fresh target of piracy.
We are talking about ‘Great Grand Masti’ starring Riteish Deshmukh, Aftab Shivdasani, Vivek Oberoi and Urvashi Rautela.
The movie was reportedly with Censor Board for certification and the board the Pahlaj Nihalani headed board had asked the makers to make certain ‘adjustments’ in the movie.
But before the certification or clearance from CBFC, the censor copy of the movie got leaked 17 days before the release which was scheduled on July 22, 2016.
Indeed, the makers of ‘Great Grand Masti’ are in a state of shock. In fact, the leak has forced the makers to change the release date of the movie.
According to Bollywood trade analyst Taran Adarh, 'Great Grand Masti' will now release on July 15.
Reportedly, unlike ‘Udta Punjab’, the leak of ‘Great Grand Masti’ will take a toll on its business at the box office.
“The damage to this film would be far greater than Udta Punjab, as the latter was leaked just a day or two before release, whereas Great Grand Masti is available online a good three weeks before its scheduled date of release. Furthermore, the audience for the sex comedy is the young post-pubescent males who are online all day long. Chances are, Great Grand Masti has lost a sizable chunk of its audience due to the online leak,” a trade analyst reportedly told a leading daily.
Meanwhile, reports about Salman Khan’s ‘Sultan’ being leaked online are also doing the rounds. It is the second movie to be reportedly leaked online within a week’s time.
This trend is certainly not good for the Bollywood filmmakers who lose major chunk of the revenue to piracy. Also, the leak of ‘censor copy’ of the movies will also raise questions over the credibility of Pahlaj Nihlani headed Censor Board.
