Meiyazhagan director Prem Kumar says ‘paid reviewers' are targeting Tamil films during the first week of release: 'It is very uncivilised...'
Prem Kumar
recently shared his concerns regarding the growing influence of paid reviews in Tamil cinema.
Prem
was seen having a candid conversation with Telugu director
Vivek Athreya
, Kannada filmmaker Hemanth Rao, and Malayalam director Christo Tomy in a recent directors' roundtable, where he spoke about the increasing trend of negative campaigns against films.
Prem Kumar about negative campaign against movies
Meiyazhagan - Official Teaser
Speaking at the South Directors Roundtable during the 7th Indian Screenwriters Conference, Prem strongly criticised what he sees as the harmful impact of 'negative reviews' during the crucial first week of a film's release.
'Negative reviews have become a big problem in Tamil cinema. It's getting worse day by day, week after week,' he said. The 96 director drew a clear distinction between traditional film critics and the current wave of online reviewers.
'We used to have reviewers. The breed we have now are not reviewers; their target is different. It's very uncivilised — the language they use, the way they speak, and what they target,' he remarked.
Prem Kumar slams paid reviewers
The filmmaker went on to accuse many of these reviewers of having questionable motives. He claimed they attempt to influence the box office performance of films in the first week.
He believes that most of these reviewers affect the box office collections during the first week, and later, producers approach them for their next project. He added that 90 percent of the reviews circulating on social media are now paid, and this heavily influences people's decision on whether to watch a film or not. 'I hope producers come up with a regulation for this,' Prem added.
Prem Kumar's projects
Prem Kumar's recent film Meiyazhagan, featuring Arvind Swami and Karthi, received a warm reception from both fans and critics. He is now gearing up to helm the much-anticipated sequel to 96, starring
Vijay Sethupathi
and
Trisha Krishnan
.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Venkat K Narayana: Cinema must start and finish on time. That itself is a win
Director Prem's gangster drama KD (Kaali Dasa), starring Dhruva Sarja, has piqued the curiosity and tested the patience of fans. Initially slated for an April or May release and later teased for September, the film has faced multiple delays. Now, after several rounds of speculation, KD is finally eyeing an October release window at the box office. Having already launched teasers in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kochi across four languages, the team unveiled the Kannada version in Bengaluru. The event was graced by Crazy Star V Ravichandran, Ramesh Aravind, lead actor Reeshma Nanaiah, producer K Venkat Narayana, Anand of Anand Audio, and others. Produced on a massive scale by KVN Productions, KD combines high-octane action with deep-rooted emotional storytelling. Producer Venkat Narayana revealed that the teaser showcases all the key characters and promised that the film brings together adrenaline and family sentiment in equal measure. He highlighted that director Prem spent nearly three years sculpting these unique characters, played by Dhruva, Ravichandran, and Shilpa Shetty, who will be featured in never-seen-before roles. At the teaser launch, Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt described his character, Dhaak Deva, as 'a completely dangerous and fearsome villain.' He praised Dhruva Sarja, stating, 'He's not just a Kannada actor — he's an Indian actor in the making.'
New Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Ravichandran's condition to directors: 'Wrap films in 6 months'
Entrepreneur Vijay Tata, who is venturing into production, under the banner Amrutha Cine Craft, has announced six Kannada films. These include productions featuring Krishna Ajai Rao as both actor and director in a film, Murphy director BSP Varma's next with Vinay Rajkumar, a project helmed by Simple Suni, and Rishabh Arya's next with Vikram Ravichandran. Prashanth Siddhi is set to direct a film for Viky Varun and the line up also includes a film with director Manju Swaraj. Interestingly, a seventh project, headlined by Ravichandran himself, is also in the works. The announcement of these projects were made recently at an event, which were graced by ministers Dinesh Gundu Rao and Ramalinga Reddy, Crazy Star V Ravichandran, Sriimurali, and music director Hamsalekha, along with Krishna Ajai Rao, Sharan, Suni, Ragini Dwivedi, Nirup Bhandari, Rajavardan, among others.
New Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
I am glad to mark my return in Kannada with Benny: Nandita Swetha
'In the last few years, I've taken on strong, women-centric roles in Tamil and Telugu, and those gave me recognition and confidence. So when I decided to return to Kannada, I didn't want to do just another film. I wanted something meaningful.' Nandita is clear that this comeback isn't temporary. 'I don't want people to think I've just taken up a Kannada film and will disappear again. I'm here to stay. With the strength of this script and my experience, I want to show that we do have strong Kannada heroines.' Calling 2025 her Kannada comeback year, she concludes with conviction, 'This film marks a new chapter, I want to build my career here, where I belong.'
