Mollywood review bombing controversy: An act by producers against freedom of expression?

The Indian constitution, under Article 19(1)(a) provides all citizens with freedom of expression. It means all citizens of this nation have the right to express their opinions freely unless it violates the law of the land. 

According to the constitution, freedom of expression not only implies words from the mouth but also includes opinions expressed in the way of writings, movies, banners, etc. 

As the world became advanced, social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube also became stages where people could express their opinions freely. However, recent acts from movie producers from Kerala literally act as an axe that kills freedom of expression on social media platforms. 

Recently, with the word 'review bombing', a section of producers approached the court to stop movie reviews streamed via online platforms. Even top actors like Dileep also opined that movie reviews are killing movies. 

The right to review a product

Even though cinema is an art, it is a business too, which means, a film upon its release is a product. A person who buys a product has the right to opine his voice regarding its quality. 

However, this section of producers from Mollywood believes that people do not have the right to review their movies after the screening. But the most ironic part is that many of these producers are pumping hundreds of thousands of rupees into several online channels to promote their movies with positive reviews. 

And here comes the major question: If a producer is happy with positive reviews (paid or unpaid), how can he approach the court if someone says negative about a movie? 

YouTube channels targeted

Some of the major YouTube channels against which these producers have approached the court are Aswanth Kok, Unni Vlogs, etc. 

On the flip side, several times, some of these YouTubers have body-shamed Mollywood actors, but how can we consider stopping the entire review system as a solution for this?

As we live in India, every citizen has the right to freely express his views, and baseless legal intimidation will not be capable enough to kill the right to speak freely in this nation. If someone stops the mouth of one reviewer, a thousand others will rise who uphold the freedom to express their opinions freely. 

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are author's own and do not reflect the views of IBTimes India]