We have seen many prominent movie producers or production houses trying out various methods to promote their upcoming projects in the last few years. Gone are those days when the name and fame of an actor or actress were enough to lure a large audience to the theatres. Not only small performers but also the big and established names in the world of cinema test different promotional strategies to generate as much hype as they can for their upcoming releases. Nowadays, critical reviews have transformed into a promotional tool for several movie production giants. Want to know how? Let’s delve deep into this mess.
There is no denying that every movie needs a positive word of mouth before hitting the theatres. Makers concentrate on creating a strong buzz about their forthcoming projects. This is where the role of film critics becomes important. They possess the power of aiding a movie in reaching new heights or burying it in the ground for good. A large portion of moviegoers likes to read reviews of a newly released movie before going to watch it in theatres. And it is understandable as they do not want to waste their precious money and time.
People who have pretty good knowledge about the world of cinema know that not all critics are trustworthy. Some of the recent tweets from Atul Mohan, a well-known trade analyst, show why movie critics in India are losing their credibility with every passing day. In one of his tweets, he suggested that some critics should retire as they have become puppets of PR agencies and production houses. He even raised a question for them, “2-2 hazaar rupaiye ke tweet ke liye kitna giroge?”
It is no longer unknown to people that various ‘so-called’ critics charge a handsome amount of money from big production houses in exchange for posting favourable reviews for their upcoming movies. Moviemakers have been utilising this cheap tactic for so long. But people did not know about it before. However, viewers have become aware of what happens in the promotional techniques these days.
How will this situation affect the cinema in future? Especially Bollywood? Well, one thing has become crystal clear in present times. Popular production companies can no longer fool the people. The mentality of the current Indian audience has developed. They do not crave to see big-budget movies or well-established actors in them. Instead, they want quality films. The projects that treasure original and creative stories. And the formula of milking classic movies in the name of remakes or dispatching nonsensical and soul-sucking sequels with a prominent star cast is not working out for many big production houses. That’s why these production giants are doing whatever they can to save their projects. Even if they have to keep a bunch of critics in their pockets.
Some of the latest Bollywood releases like Bachchan Pandey, Heropanti 2, Attack: Part 1, and many more received 3 or more than 3-star ratings from several well-known news or review platforms. Even Satyameva Jayate 2 managed to bag some favourable reviews. Can you believe that? All these terrible flicks did nothing except torture the viewers. Yes, people who suffered the stupidity of all these movies lost their money. But these horrendous films turned out to be profitable deals for some people. Can you guess who they are?
Indian viewers should review or analyse the movies based on their own watching experiences rather than depending upon two-faced critics. Plus, they should trust verified and well-respected critics only. And most importantly, they should scrutinise numerous reviews from different critics to generate an overall idea about the movie.