Anoop Menon exposes online ticket booking fraud for FDFS: There will be hardly 12 people in the theatre

Mollywood actor Anoop Menon has raised concerns about a fraudulent trend in online movie ticket bookings, particularly for the First Day First Show (FDFS) of films.

Speaking to the press after watching his recently released movie ‘Checkmate’, Anoop Menon revealed that the occupancy rates displayed online for these initial screenings are often misleading, leading to a false sense of success.

“It’s a very dangerous trend happening in Malayalam cinema nowadays,” Anoop Menon stated, highlighting how this practice is affecting both filmmakers and audiences. He explained that a significant sum of money is being invested in theaters during the first three days of a film’s release to create an impression of high demand and traction. However, this investment often exceeds the actual production cost of the film, which is a troubling sign for the Mollywood industry.

Anoop Menon further elaborated on the situation, stating, “Bookings will be full, but there will be hardly 12 people in the theatre.” This discrepancy between online bookings and actual theater occupancy is causing concern among filmmakers, who are led to believe that their films are drawing large audiences based on these inflated booking numbers. In reality, the theater turnout is far from what is projected, leading to disappointment and financial losses.

He also emphasized that these methods to artificially boost audience traction are not foolproof and could have long-term negative effects on the industry.

Meanwhile, Anoop Menon’s film ‘Checkmate’ has hit theaters but has been receiving only mediocre reviews from audiences.