Justice S. Sounthar, while hearing the petition from the Tamil Film Active Producers Association (TFAPA), questioned the practicality of such a restriction, stating, “Reviewers have the right to express their opinion.”
Madras: The Madras High Court has refused to grant an interim order to stop individuals or social media channels from reviewing films within three days of their release.
Justice S. Sounthar, while hearing the petition from the Tamil Film Active Producers Association (TFAPA), questioned the practicality of such a restriction, stating, “Reviewers have the right to express their opinion.”
TFAPA’s counsel, Advocate Vijayan Subramanian, argued that some people misuse film reviews to defame directors, actors, and producers, causing harm to their reputations. The association sought a court order to prevent YouTube channels from entering cinema theatres for reviews and urged the City Police Commissioner to take action.
The petition also highlighted the absence of regulation and discipline on social media platforms, which leads to defamatory comments and coordinated “review bombing,” where ratings are manipulated, often due to personal or business rivalries.
TFAPA claimed that such actions negatively affect public opinion and hurt box-office performance before audiences have a chance to judge for themselves.
The judge declined to issue a blanket order, stressing the importance of freedom of expression. Notices were issued to the Union and state governments, as well as YouTube, for their response. The case has been scheduled for further proceedings in four weeks.
This petition follows increasing concerns among Tamil filmmakers about the influence of early reviews on their films’ commercial success. Recent films like ‘Kanguva’, ‘Indian 2’, and ‘Vettaiyan’ were allegedly impacted by negative reviews and fan interviews on YouTube channels.
TFAPA and the Tamil Nadu Producers Council have called for guidelines to regulate online film reviews and urged theatre owners to prohibit YouTubers from conducting interviews on their premises.
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