Al Jazeera’s investigation revealed the deep-rooted practice of paid reviews in Bollywood. Critics, influencers, and media outlets were found to be part of an elaborate system where positive reviews were bought.
Al Jazeera exposed the dark underbelly of Bollywood’s marketing strategies—paid reviews, manipulated social media trends, and an ecosystem of influencers profiting from the industry's desperation, in its long article.
Here are a few highlights of the article.
A senior Yash Raj Films executive admitted that 70-80% of Bollywood reviews were paid for. PR agencies even provided producers with rate cards listing prices for fake positive coverage, star ratings, and viral social media trends. Established media organizations softened negative reviews, while influencers charged hefty fees for promotional tweets and posts.
However, this system began turning against filmmakers. Influencers who were previously paid to promote films started demanding money to avoid bad reviews. Many, if not paid, deliberately trashed movies, amounting to extortion.
Faced with financial strain, Dharma Productions refused to engage with influencers for Jigra, its 2024 film. The film subsequently faced harsh criticism, and its failure confirmed Bollywood’s dependence on artificial hype.
Karan Johar later sold a 50% stake in Dharma for $116 million, signaling a shift in Bollywood’s business model. The industry, struggling with declining box office revenues, had also lost lucrative pre-release streaming deals, making first-week theatrical success crucial. Yet, instead of investing in quality filmmaking, Bollywood continued its reliance on manipulated marketing.
Al Jazeera also uncovered how this system evolved. In the early 2000s, Indian newspapers introduced paid entertainment content, which led to the organized monetization of film journalism.
By 2024, social media influencers and YouTube critics had become the new power players, often paid under the table to promote or destroy a film’s reputation.
Industry experts admitted that Bollywood itself created this problem by legitimizing influencers like Kamaal R Khan, who turned film criticism into a business of blackmail and manipulation.
As Bollywood struggles to regain credibility, experts believe the solution lies in treating paid reviewers as mere advertisers and focusing on making genuinely good films.
There are many more insights in the article which came up with several testimonials and analysis of the situation.