The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed a plea filed by the Tamil Film Active Producers Association (TFAPA) to ban online reviews of movies in the first three days of release. According to a Live Law report, the judge dismissed the plea, stating that such relief was ‘unsustainable’ and pointing out that even if granted relief, implementing it would be impossible. 

Madras HC says no to ban on movie reviews

While turning down the plea, the Madras HC stated that granting such relief would amount to ‘curbing the fundamental right to speech and expression’, acknowledging that movie reviews are part of it. The court also pointed out that it was not possible to prevent anyone from posting reviews in the age of social media, especially when movies can also be reviewed from other countries. 

The court also highlighted that judges were often criticised on social media, saying that producers could not expect only positive reviews. The judge opined that even if such a relief were to be granted, it would be impossible to implement it. The threat posed to theatres due to the rise of OTT platforms was also brought up, also bringing up that people can watch a movie and gauge for themselves whether it’s good. 

Why did TFAPA want to ban early reviews

The association argued in court that with the rise of social media and the evolution of cinema, there was also growth in the field of criticism. They argued that movie reviewers often played a huge role in ‘shaping audience perception, influencing industry trends, and fostering meaningful discussion’. 

The association claimed that sometimes people were employed to spread negative reviews about films, calling it review bombing, due to past enmity or business rivalry. While they agreed that there were ‘genuine reviewers who gave fair criticism’, they pointed a finger at YouTube channels in particular, using ‘derogatory’ words to increase subscribers. 

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