Our Bureau
Mumbai
Yami Gautam has publicly condemned the rising trend of paid campaigns in Bollywood that manipulate a film’s publicity, calling it a form of extortion. Ahead of the release of her husband Aditya Dhar’s film Dhurandhar, she shared a detailed note on social media, criticizing how some in the industry pay money to create positive hype or face negative coverage if they refuse. She described this practice as a growing “plague” that harms the industry’s future and distorts perceptions about success. Gautam urged her peers to stop this toxic trend and highlighted how such manipulation hurts honest storytelling and filmmaking. She praised the South Indian film industry for standing united against such tactics and called for collective action to discourage the culture of paid hype.
Echoing her concerns, actor Hrithik Roshan pointed out that true journalistic voice and freedom of expression are being compromised by these paid publicity practices. He emphasized the importance of sincere critical feedback for creative evolution and warned that losing this freedom impoverishes the industry and its members. Gautam also defended the hard work of her husband and his team in creating Dhurandhar, a film she believes India should be proud of, stressing that the audience should be the ultimate judge after watching the film.
The controversy around Dhurandhar includes legal challenges related to allegations that the film draws heavily from the life of late Major Mohit Sharma without family consent, but the film has been cleared for release by the Central Board of Film Certification with modifications. Through her stance, Yami Gautam has sparked important conversations about ethical marketing and the genuine appreciation of cinematic efforts in Indian cinema ahead of Dhurandhar’s release on December 5.
