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| Image Credit: The Hindu |
On June 26, 2025, the Madras High Court did us all a favour by rejecting the Tamil Film Active Producers Association (TFAPA)’s request to ban online reviews for the first three days after a movie releases in theaters. This is a great decision that upholds free speech and expression. Now everyone can share their opinions, whether good or bad and keep the film industry alive and kicking. As a movie fan who loves to discuss films after watching them, this is good for everyone who thinks movies should spark conversations.
TFAPA went to court saying early online reviews on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook cause “review bombing”. This means a lot of negative reviews that they feel hurt ticket sales and reputation. They cited movies like Kanguva, Indian 2 and Vettaiyan which got bad reviews initially and lost money. They asked for a three day ban on reviews to protect the interests of producers during the opening weekend. Justice Venkatesh understood the issue and said it’s “not possible to enforce” and “not possible to implement” in today’s social media world. He said reviewing movies, whether good or bad is part of free speech and producers shouldn’t expect only good reviews.
The court’s verdict was perfect and fitting like the end of a story. Justice Venkatesh asked, “If I agree to your request, how will that be implemented?” He pointed out that it’s not possible to control people’s opinions today because anyone, even from Azerbaijan can share their reviews online. He shared a personal anecdote, saying that judges including himself get trolled online but that doesn’t stop them from doing their job. Just because someone doesn’t like a movie doesn’t mean everyone else will agree. “People have different opinions,” he said, reminding us that viewers are smart enough to watch a movie and form their own opinion.
TFAPA’s request was based on a real concern—hurtful reviews can be damaging, especially if they are mean or personal. The court’s decision reminds us that movies are a type of public art that can be liked or disliked. Justice Venkatesh said that history shows some movies can recover after being criticized at first. He gave examples of movies that did well even though people didn’t like them at first.
Source: The Hindu
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