Srikanth Odela’s The Paradise, starring Nani in the lead role, hit theatres on Thursday following paid premieres on Wednesday.
The film delivered the biggest opening of Nani’s career, but collections reportedly witnessed a sharp drop on Friday amid mixed-to-lukewarm responses from critics and audiences.
Now, the film’s ratings and reviews appear to have been disabled on ticketing platform BookMyShow.
The ratings and reviews section, which was previously available for The Paradise, now displays the message “Rating & Review Disabled,” without offering any explanation for the change or indicating when the restriction was imposed.
A similar move was previously seen for films such as Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, Ustaad Bhagat Singh, O’Romeo and Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu.
Producers have, in the past, argued that such restrictions are aimed at curbing coordinated “review bombing” and bot activity rather than silencing genuine audience feedback.
The development also comes against the backdrop of a Bengaluru court granting relief to the makers of The Paradise against the publication and circulation of allegedly defamatory content.
Following social media discussion over whether the court order could affect genuine criticism of the film, Nani said the move was not aimed at authentic reviews.
“It does not target genuine reviews,” he said while promoting the film in Mumbai.
According to the plea filed in court, the makers had invested heavily in the film’s production, marketing and distribution and argued that the circulation of allegedly defamatory material could cause irreversible financial damage.
The Paradise is directed by Srikanth Odela and produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri and Ishan Saksena under Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Cinemas and IVY Entertainment. The film stars Nani, Mohan Babu, Kayadu Lohar, Sonali Kulkarni and Raghav Juyal.
Set in the 1980s, the film follows a tribe called Savaari as its members fight for legal recognition from the government while facing discrimination under a feudal power structure.
The film has drawn criticism over several aspects, including its story.
