Producer Dheeraj Mogilineni, who produced the recent Rashmika Mandanna film The Girlfriend, has stirred a major controversy by making explosive allegations against BookMyShow during an interview with a YouTube channel. His claims have triggered serious debate within industry circles about how audience perception is being systematically manipulated for money.
Speaking candidly, Dheeraj alleged that the ratings displayed on BookMyShow are not organic at all. According to him, a large portion of the high ratings seen on the app are generated by BookMyShow’s own paid agents rather than genuine moviegoers. He claimed that representatives linked to the platform approach producers with packages that guarantee inflated ratings. For instance, he alleged that a package offering around 2 lakh ratings with an average score close to 9 out of 10 costs approximately Rs. 5 lakhs.
What makes the allegation more disturbing is what follows next. Dheeraj claimed that this artificially boosted rating lasts only for about two days. After that, the same agencies allegedly ensure that the film’s rating drops sharply. Producers are then contacted again and told that negative audience feedback is pulling the score down. In reality, he alleges, those negative ratings are also planted by the same agents to pressure producers into paying more.
According to Dheeraj, maintaining a high rating on BookMyShow becomes a daily expense. Producers are allegedly forced to shell out Rs. 2 to 3 lakh per day just to keep the score around 9. If they refuse, the ratings are deliberately brought down. He bluntly described the entire system as a scam.
