Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions’ decision to not do early press screenings for its films starting with Jigra has sparked controversy in the Indian film industry. The production house claims that this strategy is aimed at preferring ‘genuine’ audience reviews over critics.
Supporting its decision, Dharma Productions claimed that the step was taken to limit the number of ‘paid’ reviews by some critics, which were ultimately damaging the reputation and credibility of the film industry.
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It argued that unethical monetary conversations take place during these events to rig up the reviews, with some influencer-turned-critics charging as much as ₹60,000 for writing a review built on a certain narrative, which in turn damages the industry’s credibility.
While the opinion regarding the decision has been fairly divided among the insiders and audience, professional critics do not seem pleased with this move at all. Many famous critics have called the decision ‘disappointing’, saying that it would hamper the quality of reviews by encouraging reactionary takes.
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Fans have been fairly divided on the matter, with some praising the decision as a move to curb the rampant extortion business, while others view it as Dharma’s lack of confidence in its films. Dharma is not the first production house to go down this path, as YRF has been doing it since long before.
Whatever might be the case, this move by Dharma Productions has definitely raised serious questions about the credibility and transparency of film promotion in Bollywood.