Can courts really stop fake ratings and online trolling of films?

The move, aimed at platforms such as BookMyShow, signals the need for preventive protection at the most commercially sensitive moment in a movie’s life—just before or immediately after it is released.

"For movies, especially big-ticket releases, early ratings on ticketing and aggregation platforms can directly influence footfall, distributor confidence, and box office performance," said Sudhir Raja Ravindran, attorney-at-law, solicitor (England & Wales), Altacit Global.

The concern is not criticism itself, which is legitimate, but distorted market signalling. When ratings are driven by non-viewers or organized campaigns, they cease to reflect consumer opinion and instead function as a form of reputational interference.

The court order is, therefore, intended to pause or neutralize a potentially misleading signal, not to silence genuine feedback, Ravindran added.

According to industry experts, the ratings and reviews ecosystem, though largely informal and unorganized, can work against films.

Coordinated down-rating campaigns, fan-driven rivalries, ideological backlash, and sometimes automated or semi-automated activity aimed at manipulating perception can influence audiences before they have even watched the film.

In the past, films such as Laal Singh Chaddha, Brahmastra and Raksha Bandhan have been subjected to online trolling.

Court orders offer temporary relief but stop short of addressing the deeper, structural problem.

Film producer and trade and exhibition expert Girish Johar said fan clubs can get quite aggressive down south, and the idea behind such orders is to curb negative campaigning by opposing groups.

The purpose of seeking such an order is to stop market manipulation, not criticism, said Aishwarya Kaushiq, partner, disputes team, BTG Advaya. Ratings on any platform operate as commercial signals, and when they are flooded pre-release, coordinated or automated, they mislead consumers and cause immediate, irreparable commercial harm.

Films and shows on platforms such as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes have repeatedly faced sudden, mass low ratings within hours of trailers or announcements, often before release, mostly by bots. There is no system to identify the genuineness of such ratings, Kaushiq pointed out.

Pause the damage

Rishabh Gandhi, founder, Rishabh Gandhi and Advocates, said such orders work best when they are limited, time-bound, and issued early. They do not decide artistic merit. They simply pause the damage during the most vulnerable commercial window and allow organic audience feedback to take over.

This issue is not confined to cinemas but exists across app stores, e-commerce platforms, and global content aggregators, where early or coordinated ratings can skew perception. Most platforms deploy moderation tools, such as detecting abnormal spikes, removing bots, or flagging suspicious activity.

According to Aarushi Jain, partner (head‑media, education and gaming), Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, while genuine reviews are free speech, fake news or reviews have a damaging effect. In the media context, several content creator-friendly social media platforms allow creators to switch off comments at their option, she pointed out.

“BookMyShow is a law-abiding intermediary platform and strictly complies with all applicable laws and court orders," a BookMyShow spokesperson said. “Audience ratings and reviews are a key part of the discovery experience and are published only from verified users who have purchased tickets on BookMyShow and watched the film, reflecting genuine feedback from real viewers."

“BookMyShow does not engage in, permit, or have the ability to influence or manipulate paid, fake, or altered ratings and reviews, and functions solely as a neutral platform for audiences to share their views. If any individual falsely claims to represent BookMyShow and approaches film bodies or producers in connection with manipulating ratings or reviews, we strongly advise that such instances be reported immediately to the relevant authorities," the person added.

In an earlier interview with Mint, Yaminie Patodia, head of IMDb India, had said ratings and reviews are a very important part of what the platform brings to its customers, and it takes the authority of these opinions very seriously.

“We are very aware that there are concentrated efforts sometimes to deflate or inflate the rating of a particular title. The way we approach it is we look for patterns and update our algorithms so that it reduces the impact of all of this abusive behaviour across all our titles. Then it becomes difficult for any concentrated effort to move our ratings to sustain for a very long period of time," Patodia had added.

Court orders provide immediate relief but do not solve the systemic issue of manipulated reviews across social media, said Hardeep Sachdeva, senior partner, AZB & Partners. “The challenge is balancing genuine audience feedback with protection against manipulation, and until platforms evolve transparent, verifiable systems, courts will continue to be approached for reactive remedies," he said.