Salman Khan’s recent release Sikander had created a buzz ahead of its release but unlike his other films it turned out to be a major box office disappointment. The film had a production budget of Rs  200 crore it not only failed to recover its costs but it left fans disappointed.  However according to several media reports it has come to light that a big chunk of this loss was allegedly due to piracy — prompting the makers to take serious action. According to a recent Bollywood Hungama report the production banner behind the film Sajid Nadiadwala’s Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (NGEPL) has initiated a massive insurance claim worth Rs 91 crore. The claim is based on losses incurred due to the illegal leakage and piracy of Sikander soon after its theatrical release. The piracy impact The reports state that in order to determine the actual scope of the harm NGEPL carried out a thorough internal examination. Ernst & Young (EY) a multinational consulting firm was also brought in to perform a thorough examination and estimate losses. Here’s what the audit revealed  Reportedly the audit revealed that as soon as the film was released the pirated versions of the film were being circulated within hours primarily through encrypted messaging apps and unauthorized streaming platforms. The leaked content was widely downloaded and viewed illegally significantly affecting the films box office performance especially in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities where such pirated content spreads rapidly. How was the loss estimated? The audit process reportedly involved advanced digital footprint tracking and piracy mapping tools. EY’s team assessed pre-release trade projections region-wise box office trends and theatre occupancy rates. They also considered data from ticketing platforms distributor statements and illegal download counts to estimate how much potential revenue was lost due to piracy. After benchmarking the data against market norms and modelling alternate performance scenarios (had the piracy not occurred) the losses were pegged at approximately Rs 91 crore. This amount the report states reflects both theatrical and digital revenue losses. The insurance move What sets this case apart is the scale and seriousness with which the producers are pursuing compensation. Sikander was reportedly insured under a digital piracy insurance policy — a relatively newer risk-mitigation model that several top studios are beginning to adopt in India. NGEPL has now officially begun the process of filing the claim with its insurer. If accepted it will mark one of the largest piracy-related insurance claims in Bollywood to date. Industry-wide implications According to several media reports this move could also have broader implications for the Indian film industry which loses hundreds of crores each year due to piracy. Yes you read it right!  For that now producers are proactively using insurance as a tool to protect their investments other production houses may follow suit in safeguarding their big-budget projects. While Sikander may not have delivered at the box office its handling of post-release damage control could end up setting a precedent in the battle against digital piracy.