When film journalist Anupama Chopra’s review of Dhurandhar vanished from The Hollywood Reporter’s YouTube channel, the move sparked a fierce debate about how film journalists are treated in India. Many saw the deletion as a troubling sign of mounting pressure on independent voices.
After publishing her review, Anupama Chopra reportedly received violent messages and rape threats online. Several viewers believe the abuse pushed the platform to remove the video. The incident triggered anger among fans who said no reviewer should face intimidation for sharing an honest opinion.
Many online users criticised Bollywood for its silence. They argued that stars often seek her platform for interviews and roundtables but fail to stand by her when she faces harassment. The lack of public support raised questions about how much the industry truly values journalists.
Fans also pointed to what they saw as insecurity from Dhurandhar’s makers. They questioned how one review could be treated as a threat to a film’s image. At the same time, they slammed online attackers for lecturing a veteran critic without any professional backing.
Attention also turned to Yami Gautam, wife of director Aditya Dhar. She recently spoke about so called paid journalism but did not comment when social media accounts targeted genuine reviews of Dhurandhar. Her silence drew criticism, especially since she had just appeared on Anupama Chopra’s show to promote Haq.
Some viewers floated another theory behind the deletion. They noted that Saregama owns the music rights to Dhurandhar and is part of the RPS Group, which also owns The Hollywood Reporter India. According to this view, the review may have made influential stakeholders uncomfortable.
The episode underlined larger concerns around press freedom in India. Just as news reporters face online abuse, film journalists are also under attack. Many now fear that relentless trolling and political pressure are slowly shrinking space for honest criticism.
