At the South Directors Roundtable held during the 7th Indian Screenwriters Conference, filmmaker Premkumar voiced his concerns about the rising trend of paid and negative reviews in Tamil cinema. Engaged in an open discussion with Telugu director Vivek Athreya, Kannada filmmaker Hemanth Rao, and Malayalam director Christo Tomy, Prem highlighted the damage such practices cause to films, particularly during their opening week.

He criticized the shift from traditional film criticism to what he described as unprofessional and agenda-driven commentary on social media. According to Premkumar, these online reviewers often use harsh/uncivilized language and personal attacks rather than providing genuine cinematic critiques. He stressed that these so-called reviews not only misguide the audience but also significantly impact box office collections in a film’s crucial early days.

The director further alleged that around 90% of reviews online are paid, suggesting a business model where reviewers influence audience perception for monetary benefits and later find a way to ‘mingle’ with the producers. He called on the film industry, particularly producers, to introduce regulations to curb this issue and restore credibility to film criticism.

Despite these challenges, Premkumar’s recent film Meiyazhagan, starring Arvind Swami and Karthi, was well-received by both audiences and critics. He is now preparing for the sequel to his acclaimed film 96, which will see the return of Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha Krishnan. Through his remarks, Premkumar shed light on an urgent issue facing Indian cinema, advocating for integrity in film reviewing and support for authentic storytelling.