Bollywood’s deep-rooted culture of paid reviews has turned into an industry-wide issue, where fake praise, threats, and extortion are rampant. The problem came to the forefront when Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions announced it would no longer hold pre-release screenings for critics, signaling an end to paid reviews.
An executive from Yash Raj Films (YRF) revealed that 70-80 percent of reviews in Bollywood are paid for, with rates varying depending on the level of promotion needed. PR firms send “rate cards” to producers, offering services such as live tweets, high ratings, and social media trends.
Major media organizations charge millions of rupees for positive coverage, though they usually avoid direct film reviews. Instead, they tone down negativity in exchange for money, a practice insiders call “managing negativity.”
Influencers and independent critics often negotiate their fees in cash, with rates rising for films generating little pre-release buzz. Over time, this practice has escalated into outright extortion, where influencers threaten to trash a film unless paid.
Production houses have spent heavily on flying critics to Mumbai, gifting them iPhones, and financing hotel stays to ensure positive reviews. However, as more influencers enter the space, the cost of maintaining this system has become unsustainable.
Dharma Productions, already struggling financially, decided to stop engaging with influencers. Its latest film, Jigra, was released on October 11 but flopped despite positive coverage from mainstream media. Some producers even resort to bulk ticket purchases to create the illusion of success, but this tactic has little impact on overall box office performance.
Bollywood has been facing a downturn for the past several years, with most big-budget films failing. The industry has invested in crafting illusions rather than improving content, while South Indian cinema has taken the lead with commercially and critically successful films. Instead of focusing on storytelling, Bollywood continues to pour money into perception management.
The paid review model started in the early 2000s when newspapers like The Times of India launched “MediaNet,” which sold entertainment news for a price. Over time, this practice became widespread, and paid reviews became an integral part of film marketing. Today, PR firms openly offer positive reviews as part of promotional packages, blurring the line between journalism and advertising.
The impact of paid reviews is diminishing, as streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon now buy digital rights only after a film’s theatrical release. This means that if a film flops in theaters, its value plummets on digital platforms as well, making the stakes higher for filmmakers.
Critics like Komal Nahata openly admit to charging for social media promotions, sometimes earning thousands of dollars per film. Others, like self-styled critic Kamaal R Khan, have built careers by attacking films unless paid to promote them. This toxic ecosystem has created a vicious cycle where filmmakers feel compelled to pay for positive coverage to avoid damage from influencers.
Veteran publicist Prabhat Choudhary is known for leading major promotional campaigns and is accused of orchestrating paid reviews. While some actors have refused to pay for reviews, many continue to fuel the cycle.
The industry’s over-reliance on perception management instead of quality filmmaking has come back to haunt it. Bollywood now finds itself trapped in a game of its own making, struggling to maintain its credibility in an era where audiences are increasingly skeptical of hyped reviews.
Source: Al Jazeera
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
