The terms ‘block bookings and ‘corporate bookings’ have created a lot of buzz recently. It began when trade analyst Komal Nahta accused the makers of actors Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya’s recent film Sky Force of resorting to booking out theatres in order to paint a rosy picture in the film’s box-office report. Stills from Chhaava and Sky Force Things took a turn after the same accusation was levelled against Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna’s upcoming Chhaava, which is bankrolled by the same producers — Maddock Films. In light of these allegations, insiders worry that the industry’s credibility is at stake, considering anyone can manufacture numbers to favour their films. ‘An old practice’ According to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, big names in the film industry were fudging the numbers even in the 1970s and ’80s: “In those days, block bookings was called ‘feeding’. A top actor I spoke to would buy tickets at certain cinemas for houseful boards to create a certain perception. Films wouldn’t release simultaneously then — a film might premiere in Delhi …