The debate over film reviews is once again on board after lyricist Anantha Sriram‘s comments at the Chennai Love Story success meet. Without naming anyone, Anantha Sriram’s speech appeared to target reviewers who described the film’s second half as dull, arguing that such opinions failed to reflect the audience’s response.
Lyricist Anantha Sriram came down heavily on a section of Telugu reviewers, questioning the way some films are judged. He argued that reviewers often overlook flaws in films from Tamil, Malayalam, or Hindi cinema while being far more critical of Telugu releases.
Without naming anyone, Anantha Sriram alleged that a few reviewers had written off Chennai Love Story even before audiences got a chance to experience it. He argued that despite the criticism, the film connected with viewers and emerged successful at the box office.
His remarks have once again reignited the long-running debate between filmmakers and reviewers. The bigger question is whether reviewers are really responsible for a film’s success or failure. A review is ultimately an individual’s opinion. No reviewer can force audiences to like or dislike a film.
Rather than blaming reviewers for a film’s performance, the industry may benefit more from accepting that criticism is an integral part of cinema. Just as filmmakers have the freedom to tell stories, reviewers have the freedom to express their honest opinions.
