Yami Gautam Criticises Paid Negativity Culture Ahead of Dhurandhar Release

Actor Yami Gautam has strongly criticised what she describes as the growing “extortion-like” culture and paid negativity in Bollywood, urging the film industry to collectively act against practices that artificially manufacture hype or deliberately damage a film’s reputation. Her statement comes just a day before the release of Dhurandhar, directed by her husband Aditya Dhar.

In a detailed note shared on social media, Yami expressed concern over marketing arrangements in which payments are allegedly demanded to generate positive buzz—or, conversely, to suppress negative commentary. Calling the trend harmful and unethical, she wrote that this system “feels nothing but a kind of extortion,” especially when negative narratives are seeded even before a film’s release unless money is paid.

Yami highlighted that such mechanisms are distorting the industry’s creative ecosystem. She warned that the normalisation of paid hype and orchestrated negativity could deeply damage the future of Indian cinema. “This monster of a trend is eventually going to bite everyone,” she noted, adding that true artistic success is being overshadowed by superficial metrics.

Comparing Bollywood to South Indian film industries, Yami said that such practices are virtually impossible there due to stronger unity across stakeholders. She urged producers, directors, and actors to stand together and stop this “termite-like culture” before it becomes irreversible.

Speaking about Dhurandhar, Yami defended the years of hard work and integrity her husband Aditya Dhar has invested into the film. She emphasised that the team has created something India could be proud of and asked that audiences be allowed to form their own opinions without manipulated narratives.

Her statement also comes amid calls by a section of social media users to boycott Dhurandhar, following Ranveer Singh’s controversial mimicry of the Daivas portrayed in Kantara Chapter 2. Although Singh has apologised, some expect the controversy to impact the film’s release.

Yami concluded by appealing to the industry to safeguard the filmmaking environment: “Let’s not kill the joy of filmmaking. We need to protect our industry environment and let the audience decide.”

Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, releases on December 5.