Actor Ayushmann Khurrana has opened up about how social media reactions and online criticism affect films today, saying audiences have become far more vocal and judgmental the moment a teaser or trailer drops. The actor pointed to Ranveer Singh and filmmaker Aditya Dhar’s “Dhurandhar” as an example, claiming the film initially faced heavy negativity online before eventually winning audiences over.

Speaking in an exclusive interaction with IANS, Ayushmann said actors often enjoy a “honeymoon period” early in their careers when they receive widespread support, but criticism becomes inevitable once they become established stars.

“Every actor goes through a honeymoon period in the beginning of their career. You get unanimous love. But after some years, you will get criticism when you reach the helm of your career. Like, they always support the underdog,” he said.

The ‘Dream Girl’ actor added that audiences generally tend to support underdogs, while successful stars are scrutinised more closely over time.

Talking about the growing impact of social media reviews and viral reactions, Ayushmann said the film industry now hears criticism instantly and publicly, unlike earlier years when opinions stayed limited to personal conversations.

“There is no trailer that got unanimous love recently,” he said while referring to “Dhurandhar”. “There was so much negativity around it. There was so much negativity. I loved the trailer, personally, but I didn't understand why there was so much negativity around it. And look at what the film has done. It's such a brilliant film.”

The actor stressed that strong storytelling ultimately matters more than online trends or early reactions.

Praising the film further, Ayushmann called “Dhurandhar” a benchmark in filmmaking and said quality cinema eventually finds its audience regardless of scale or budget.

Ayushmann also noted how criticism has become more visible in the digital age because social media amplifies every opinion instantly.

“You'll always be criticized. There used to be a lot of criticism in the past. But now, we get to hear it in a tea stall, in a corner, at a barber's shop,” he said, explaining how public conversations now directly spill onto online platforms.

The actor concluded by saying that good filmmaking and strong stories continue to work despite online negativity, citing both small films like “12th Fail” and bigger productions like “Dhurandhar” as examples.

With IANS inputs