Film production house Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment (NGE) has filed a legal complaint against social media influencers accused of demanding money for positive reviews and threatening negative publicity if not paid.
The company’s legal counsel, Ravi Suryawanshi of Bar and Brief Attorneys, said NGE has submitted call recordings and other documents to investigative agencies, seeking action against what it calls extortion attempts targeting films, directors, and actors.
“We recently came across evidence-including call recordings-indicating that a few individuals were demanding money and threatening to malign the reputation of our films, directors, and lead actors if their demands were not met. We believe such behaviour warrants investigation by the appropriate authorities. Accordingly, we have referred the matter to the relevant investigative agencies for lawful action,” their statement read.
Earlier this month, the Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC) had flagged similar practices, accusing some influencers of coercing producers with threats of malicious reviews and coordinated smear campaigns to undermine a film’s commercial prospects. The council said it is consulting legal experts to explore both civil and criminal remedies.
“After having observed over last few years, an alarming trend where certain social media influencers are engaging in predatory practices by threatening to release malicious and disparaging reviews or reaction videos of films, series, and other audiovisual content, coupled with demands for payment from producers…Therefore, the IFTPC has decided to seek opinions from top-tier legal counsels, to explore all available legal remedies under both civil and criminal laws to bring a swift and decisive end to these extortionate practices,” the producer’s forum had said in a press release on 1 September.
Members of other industry associations, including the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) and the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) have also raised concern about paid or coerced review practices, Mint had reported earlier.
Both NGE and IFTPC in their statements emphasized that their legal actions are not aimed at curbing freedom of speech or genuine film criticism.
In their statements, they made clear that this move is specifically targeted at combating malicious practices such as extortion and blackmail by certain social media influencers.
They said that honest and constructive criticism remains vital for the growth and health of the film industry, while these predatory tactics pose a serious threat to its creative and economic well-being. This legal recourse is positioned as a necessary step to protect the integrity of Indian cinema from exploitation and safeguard filmmakers from unethical pressures.
Nadiadwala, producers war, malicious film review, influencers, paid review, films, television media, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, legal case, Indian cinema
#Nadiadwala #joins #producers #war #malicious #film #review #influencers