Chennai: The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed a writ petition filed by the Tamil Film Active Producers Association (TFAPA) that sought a ban on online movie reviews during the first three days of a film’s theatrical release. Justice N Anand Venkatesh ruled that such a ban would violate the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.
The petition had argued that negative reviews posted online could hurt box office collections and damage a film’s reputation. However, Justice Venkatesh stressed that reviewing and discussing movies on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram was an integral part of free speech. “Producers cannot expect only positive reviews,” he said, adding they must accept both praise and criticism as part of public discourse.
The judge further highlighted the growing challenge posed by Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms, which are becoming a preferred choice for moviegoers. “You cannot stop reviews—if you stop one, another will come from anywhere in the world,” Justice Venkatesh noted.
He also emphasised that awareness, not censorship, was key in the social media era. “People must judge movies after watching them and not be swayed by others’ opinions,” the judge concluded, stressing that many films initially criticized had gone on to become successes.
