After Nani acknowledges The Paradise’s flaws, makers get BookMyShow ratings disabled

Hours after Nani publicly said he had 'learnt from the flaws that critics and reviewers have pointed out' about The Paradise, the film's reviews and ratings were taken down from BookMyShow

NaniNani in a still from The Paradise. (PC: Aniket Nikam Creations'/YouTube)

Hours after Nani publicly acknowledged the flaws in his latest film The Paradise and said he had “equally enjoyed the hilarious trolls,” the film’s reviews and ratings were removed from ticketing platform BookMyShow. The platform’s page for the Srikanth Odela-directed action drama now displays “Rating & Review Disabled”.  A Bengaluru court has separately granted the makers relief against the circulation of “defamatory” content about the film.

Nani’s acknowledgement of film’s flaws

As the audience reactions for The Paradise started getting divisive, Nani posted a note on X. “I have seen all your reactions and responses. I’ve received all your love and equally enjoyed your hilarious trolls. I’m heartwarmed by the way audience have owned the film, and also learnt from the flaws that critics and reviewers have pointed out,” he wrote.

He added, “Thank you for everything is all I can say. We have made The Paradise with a lot of blood and sweat to give you a unique experience, and it’s all yours to celebrate or judge. With the excitement you had for the film and the affection you showed on me, I am filled with gratitude.”

What happened on BookMyShow

Reviews and ratings for The Paradise, which had been active since the film’s Wednesday paid premieres, were disabled on the platform approximately one day after release. The page now reads “Rating & Review Disabled” with no accompanying explanation for when the restriction was applied, who requested it or when it might be lifted.

The disabling took place during a period when the film was receiving significant negative feedback from audiences. Multiple reviewers had rated the film between 2 and 2.75 out of 5. Audience reactions on social media had been sharply critical of the repetitive second half, the underwritten heroine track, the underuse of Mohan Babu and the anticlimactic climax. The BookMyShow audience score, before it was removed, reflected this sentiment.

The Paradise is not the first major Indian film to have its BookMyShow reviews restricted. Yash’s Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh, Chiranjeevi’s Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu and Shahid Kapoor’s O’Romeo have all had their ratings and reviews disabled on the platform in recent months. In each case, the stated justification has been the same: preventing “review bombing by bots,” a practice where automated or coordinated accounts flood a film’s page with negative ratings to artificially drag down its score.

The court order

Separately, a court in Bengaluru granted relief to the makers of The Paradise against the publication and circulation of content they described as “defamatory.” The plea, filed by the production team under Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Cinemas and IVY Entertainment, argued that a substantial investment had been made in the production, marketing and distribution of the film, and that the circulation of such material could cause “irreversible financial damage.”

When the court order generated speculation on social media about whether it would be used to suppress legitimate reviews, Nani addressed the concern during a promotional appearance in Mumbai. “It does not target genuine reviews,” he said.

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The Paradise box office

The Paradise opened to Rs 34.65 crore net in India on Day 1, the biggest opening of Nani’s career. It dropped 57 percent on Day 2, collecting Rs 14.90 crore net. The worldwide gross after two days stands at Rs 98.50 crore.

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