The Guru Behind Box Office
Gitesh Pandya, the founder and editor of Box Office Guru, has been offering analytical data about the film industry since 1997. The prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently picked him as a lifetime member. The guru, giving us a sneak peek from his front-row seat behind the scenes, explains how he won the coveted spot.
You were recently selected as one of the 487 new stellar executives and creative virtuosos initiated into the esteemed Academy— a mammoth organization with 18 branches. Tell us about the Academy's selection process. How were you chosen?
The process took several months and involved getting current Academy members in the marketing branch to sponsor me and then providing information about the work I've done in the U.S. film industry over the past 23 years. A committee reviews all submissions and selects a small number to be invited into the Academy. I've worked with many of their top people, so they were familiar with me.
How long does the Academy membership last?
Unless you behave like Will Smith, you're pretty much in the Academy for life.
What nature of change can members like you hope to achieve?
There are numerous committees within the organization I can be involved with, so in the coming months I will select where I can contribute more to— possibly international issues, student filmmakers, etc. My wife, Rohi, and I run Box Office Guru Media, working on the releases of hundreds of films in the U.S. We've always felt it was important for Hollywood studios to do outreach to the large movie-loving South Asian audience.
As a newly minted inductee there will be much afoot. What are your immediate plans?
I'll be learning about Academy events in the near term along with how the process operates for Oscar voting, which I look forward to this winter.
Peering into your past, what sparked your interest in movies—beyond the experience of simply watching films?
I've been a big lover of movies since I was a kid, and my first job was working at a video store in high school in the 1980s promoting movie picks for my customers. Since then, I've always had a deep interest, especially on the business side including marketing and distribution. I produced my own independent film, American Desi, and began marketing to the South Asian American audience back then.
[Right] Gitesh and Rohi Pandya with the actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
I watched your pre-Oscars interview on Yahoo! Finance earlier this year. Your understanding of the inner workings of the film industry is impressive and your analysis astute. A visit to Box Office Guru (boxofficeguru.com) offers detailed statistics of the revenue generated by films and other pertinent data. What drew you to the marketing aspect of the industry?
I'm always fascinated by audience interest in films—what do people like, or not like. Marketing goes hand-in-hand with box office. It's called "show business" so there is making the show, but also the business of getting it out to a paying audience. Marketing can be so key in getting a film attention and standing out, especially in the Indian community given the vast number of films our people make each year. I began analyzing box office numbers in the late ’80s and have never looked back.
What are your trusted sources for accurate information about industry happenings and behind the scenes information?
I get most of my box office data directly from the studios who report on their own films. And trade outlets like Deadline, Variety, and Hollywood Reporter have great journalists who report on film industry happenings.
You have written film reviews for platforms like Rotten Tomatoes. I also came across your name on New Sounds. Do you enjoy penning reviews?
Over the decades I wrote box office stories regularly (reviews were only on occasion). There was also an extended time when Rotten Tomatoes would license and publish my box office reports on their frontpage. But on my Twitter account (@GiteshPandya) I do continue to provide posts with my opinions on various films I see in advance of release. I don't consider myself a reviewer, but a box office analyst.
In broad strokes, how does Bollywood compare to Hollywood in terms of production, marketing, and audience?
Bollywood can certainly churn out films in higher numbers and quicker. Add in Tollywood and other industries across India and the capacity of film production in the country is unmatched. Bollywood in recent years has gotten closer to Hollywood in terms of marketing, especially in social media use where stars directly promote to their fans and generate excitement in minutes. Also, U.S. companies like Netflix and Amazon have poured immense amounts of resources into India. So there has been substantial expansion when it comes to global audience reach.
What are some of your favorite films?
Beverly Hills Cop is a classic that I can watch a million times. Recently I loved Godzilla Minus One, which I saw twice in theaters (once in color and once in black and white). Also, films like Pulp Fiction, Heat, Office Space, Star Trek II, and The Shawshank Redemption come to mind as terrific favorites.
Author of Kismetwali & Other Stories, Reetika Khanna is an Atlanta-based freelance writer who likes to spotlight people with purpose. She has worked with ELLE as a senior features writer, and as an associate features editor with ELLE DÉCOR, Mumbai. For more, go to ReetikaKhanna.com
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