The Tamil Film Active Producers Association (TFAPA) has approached the Madras high court with a petition to restrict online film reviews for three days following a film’s theatrical release. The producers are seeking a directive from both, the central and state governments, to impose this ban on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and to frame guidelines for online reviews.
While refusing to grant interim injunction, Justice S. Sounthar of the Madras high court has sent notices to the Centre (Union I & B ministry), Tamil Nadu, YouTube and others. The judge orally remarked that “reviews, even if critical of films, are part of the freedom of speech and expression, which cannot be curtailed”. He added that producers could counter negative reviews with their own positive reviews, and individuals could seek personal legal remedies instead of asking for a blanket gag order.
According to the petitioners, personal bias and malice in some cases lead to negative reviews which affect the film and result in huge losses, especially during the first three days which are key for a film. Over the years, Tamil film producers have on public platforms requested influencers not to post reviews on social media for three days from the release of films.
