THE CURIOUS CASE OF PAID REVIEWS!
Love hate or hate them, but you can’t ignore movie reviews or prevent them from influencing your decisions. In fact, week after week, a large chunk of moviegoers decide to see or skip a film based on the ratings given by their favourite movie critic(s). Hence, it’s no wonder that many filmmakers go for the option of ‘paid reviews’, i.e. when a critic writes positively about a certain film in return for a generous remuneration. Many critics are bikaau in this manner and this is an open secret. Only thing is, hardly any well-known personality ever spoke about it on a public platform.
However couple of weeks back, Sagar Ballary did it! Upset with the reviews written about his film Hum Tum Shabana, he lashed at the critics saying that his film got bad ratings because his producers didn’t pay the critics! He even went on to say that the majority of the critics don’t have a real knowledge of cinema and hence don’t deserve to review films. Further, he brags that he regularly reads prestigious cinema magazines and book and hence “has confidence in his craft”!
Needless to say, the critics reacted sharply and assured that they don’t take bribes from filmmakers in return for a positive review. Many of them questioned Sagar’s intent of saying all this with Rajeev Masand calling it a case of sour grapes!
I appreciate Ballary for being gutsy enough to bring forth this point which was also hushed. However, the reason for his attack on critics was obviously his response to the 1-2 stars doled out to his film Hum Tum Shabana. I haven’t seen the film but what I’ve heard from unbiased friends and acquaintances is that the film was pathetic to say the least and that it deserved the ratings given by the critics! Also, if he claims to be so knowledgeable in the field of cinema, then he should not be coming up with disastrous films like Hum Tum Shabana and Bheja Fry 2!
The need of the hour is obviously to expose the filmmaker-critics nexus. Many times, audience decide to put their money on a certain film after reading positive (paid) reviews only to find the movie not reaching their expectations. However, Sagar unfortunately was just not the right person and he messed it up with his tall claims about cinema knowledge. My only advice – make a good film and no matter what critics say, audiences will throng to see it!
READERS ARE FREE TO SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON THE AFOREMENTIONED TOPIC!
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RAM VILAS PASWAN’S SON MAKES HIS ACTING DEBUT
He has the ultimate chocolate boy looks but his chances of being the nation’s heartthrob are quite remote. I am talking about Chirag Paswan, son of Rajya Sabha MP Ram Vilas Paswan who debuts with Miley Naa Miley Hum (MNMH) that releases tomorrow! The film reminds of Bachna Ae Haseeno as both films have one guy wooing 3 girls. In MNMH, the girls are Kangna Ranaut, Sagarika Ghatge and Neeru Bajwa. Shweta Tiwari is also there in the film for an item number. Music of the film is by Sajid-Wajid and songs have found little appreciation.
Sadly, film hasn’t created buzz. Same goes for Chirag. Kangna is the only big star of the film but she has only a special appearance in the film (by her own admission). Hence, the chances of film’s success are bleak.
WOUD YOU LIKE TO SEE MILEY NAA MILEY HUM AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!
