When critics get their own medicine

Critics getting brickbats from fans is not something new... but how far can this feud go? Post the release of superstar’s much-anticipated film Kabali, critics had to face the wrath of celebs as well!

The gangster drama didn’t go down well with the critics and the inevitable happened. Fans of Rajinikanth flooded the YouTube channels of such critics and batted for their idol in the comments section. In addition, even celebs like Soundarya Rajinikanth shared their distaste over a website for spoiling the movie for the audience. Moreover, the recently-released teaser of Chennai 28 II directed by Venkat Prabhu, even takes a very obvious dig at Prashanth Rangaswamy, a film critic who reviews Tamil films on YouTube!

Like many, Prashanth has also been very critical about Pa Ranjith’s direction. It is safe to say he was one of the worst victims of the online hooliganism. “It’s like a mafia. They want everyone to reflect the same thing that they think of their favourite star’s movie. Dissent is not tolerated here,” he starts.

Sharing his worst experience, he says,”After my Kabali review, a fan went to the extent of calling the office of a company, who advertise on my channel, to get my number. When the receptionist refused to provide the contact, he started making threats.”

When queried about Venkat Prabhu’s teaser, Prashanth responds — “I think it shows lack of creativity. The film is about cricket and the teaser had no relevance to it. In fact, if they had asked me, I would have done the role (laughs). Actually, it was energising for me to see a director, who has made a film with a star like Ajith, using me in his teaser.”

He concludes, saying, “I don’t think film reviews affect a film’s success. So, my suggestion is unsubscribe from my channel if you don’t like my views. It is as simple as that.”

Bosskey, who runs a similar channel, titled Kashayam with Bosskey, shares a similar view. “I am just putting out my view in my videos. It’s not a verdict, it’s my view. It’s up to you to take it or ignore it. I won’t say I have competence in this but it is not my mistake if 4 lakh people watch my reviews.”

Talking about the scenario in which anyone can put out their view about a film, he strikes an analogy — “I go to a hotel and say that the dosa I got was bad. I have paid and I have the right to complain. It is utter stupidity if the hotel owner asks me to make dosa and prove my skills. A film is like that — a product. And anyone can criticise it.”

However, he says one should know not to cross the lines — “Don’t get personal about a star or a director. People should understand I am taking on Velu Naicker and Kabali, and not Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth. At the end of the day, a film is the result of the hard work put in by many, a critic should respect it.”

Contrary to the aforementioned views, actor Premji, who is part of Chennai 28 II, questions the very use of critics, “I don’t think critics play any part in a success or failure of a movie. Let the audience decide its fate.”

“According to me critics are not at all required for a film industry. And I am not talking about the YouTube guys alone. I am talking about the whole lot,” he puts it bluntly.

With thousands of critics online, it has become hard to find constructive criticism. Producer Dhananjayan says, “It is only going to get worse. I predict in five years there will be one lakh critics on social media. There’s no stopping to it. One should understand that cinema has become a democratic art. There has been a shift. Anyone can criticise cinema due to the advent of social media and technology.”

Dhananjayan departs with one thought — “Unlike what many think, these reviews, in fact, affect a movie’s progress. The magnitude may vary depending upon the reach of the particular critic, but it still has an effect. The only solution to this problem is filmmakers coming up with good cinema!”