The samosa mafia of Hindi cinema – EasternEye

Rise of Corrupt Indian Bollywood Critics

By: Asjad Nazir

A FEW years ago, one of India’s most famous Bollywood critics approached Eastern Eye offering to write free reviews.

Despite the journalist’s long track record, the offer was rejected because of his reputation as a journalist who wrote fake positive reviews, even for bad films, in exchange for bribes from producers.

In fact, he was looking for another platform to spread false praise, but Britain’s leading South Asian magazine refused.

This person, along with another well-known ‘journalist’ in India, played a major role in starting the trend of fake Bollywood movie reviews.

They inspired other corrupt Hindi film critics in India to follow their dishonest path and spread misinformation about films.

This gave rise to the term ‘samosa critics’, which refers to people who are willing to lie and compromise their principles for a plate of samosas.

The rise of social media, which allowed ordinary people to gain influence, further fueled the growth of these “samosa critics,” many of whom used their large followings to spread fake news in exchange for money. Film producers, seeking to exploit their corruption, began paying for positive reviews, and Bollywood PR agents in India allocated part of their marketing budgets to bribing these critics to promote bad films.

The size of a critic’s platform or the size of his social media following determined how much he was paid for the false information.

This unethical practice soon led to these “samosa critics” taking to social media to falsely portray blockbusters as huge hits, primarily to help producers negotiate better deals with streaming platforms and prospective financiers.

While Bollywood often portrays itself as one big family, big names in the industry, including stars, have used these corrupt journalists as a weapon to launch hate campaigns against rivals.

This also includes spreading negative stories about South Indian stars, who have dominated Indian cinema of late, and about Bollywood colleagues who are supposed to be friends.

Some critics have even accepted bribes to discredit excellent films simply because they were not paid, or bribed to tarnish a competitor’s release.

This corruption has backfired on Hindi film producers as some critics have started blackmailing them, demanding higher amounts for fake reviews.

Those who refuse to pay bribes risk hate campaigns against their films. These critics often prepare negative reviews without having seen the film.

In the UK, such corruption is impossible due to strict press and media regulations. This makes it illegal to accept payments for fake reviews. Furthermore, any advertising must be clearly stated in editorial or social media posts.

However, the lack of regulation in India has led to the media landscape becoming a lawless space, where fake news and reviews are rampant.

Despite their efforts, these so-called social media influencers have failed to save bad films, as is evident from the high number of failures in Bollywood.

Ultimately, the money spent on these corrupt ‘samosa critics’, who continue to spread lies in exchange for payments, is wasted. They have become a damaging presence, damaging the integrity of Indian cinema.

BOOK BINDING

WITH newly published book Kareena Kapoor Khan’s Pregnancy Biblethe actress gives a personal account of both her pregnancies. Although she has worked with various experts, I am not sure if her experiences are recognizable in real life. The Bollywood star is a multi-millionaire and has the best helpers, assistants and an excellent medical team. In stark contrast to this are everyday women don’t do have that huge support staff to help them through the challenges of pregnancy

TEENAGE TALENT

AVANTIKA VANDANAPU adds to its impressive number Hollywood projects, including successful films from 2024 Mean girls And Tarot, starring in the upcoming action thriller Ballet dancer Exaggerated. She is part of an impressive cast in the film, which is about a group ballerinas who see themselves fighting for their survival, while they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus breaks down on the way to a dance competition.

ARIJIT HAS QUICK VICTORY

THE story of Arijit Singh overtaking Taylor Swift to become the most followed artist on Spotify not to get almost enough attention. The Bollywood singer surpassing Swift with over 119 million followers is a remarkable achievement that should have made headlines around the world, rather than being a minor footnote. What makes this achievement even more extraordinary is that unlike international superstars like Swift, Singh avoids media interviews, is rarely active on social media and does not do have a huge PR or marketing machine behind him.

ANUSHKA HAS THE MONEY AT HIS HEIGHT

ANUSHKA RATHOD has been unstoppable ever since she started sharing money-saving tips online and has amassed over a million Instagram followers. Unlike many content creators who stay within the comfort of social media, the dynamic young financial expert has expanded her reach by The Money Guidea potentially groundbreaking book that aims to revolutionize the way Indians learn about money. This comprehensive personal finances guide is presented in the format of a modern graphic novel, allowing her to simplify complex financial concepts using vibrant illustrations, relatable characters, and an engaging story. Instagram.com: @anushk

ARSHAD CELEBRITY RISES

THE historic Olympic gold medal has been truly life-changing for Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem. He has had politicians, big-name celebrities and a rapidly growing fan base lining up to meet him. He has received money, expensive gifts, lucrative brand endorsements and even a buffalo since his triumphant return from Paris. Most importantly, he has become a powerful role model in a country that relatively little remarkable celebritieswho make a positive difference on a national level. He will inspire a generation to believe that anything is possible, in a way that hasn’t been done in a long time

ONJALI IS A CLASS AUTHOR

ONE of the best children’s books of recent years is The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q RaufPraised for its beautiful portrayal of kindness across cultures, this groundbreaking book had such an impact that it was widely distributed to schools and adapted into an acclaimed play. best seller has been used as a safe and non-confrontational way for young people to deal with difficult topics in the classroom. The multi-awarded author, whose works include The Letter with the Golden Stamp (published earlier this year), has now released a sequel to her beloved book. The recently published The girl in the front of the class is a picture book that celebrates children who welcome refugee classmates into their midst. This latest addition adds to an impressive body of work by a major British literary voice, who received an MBE for her services to literature and women’s rights in 2022

ACTION FLOP ARRIVAL

THIS week’s big Bollywood release, Jodhpur, will further confirm that Siddhant Chaturvedi may not have the qualities to a leading actor. Despite being signed on to headline multiple films following his standout supporting role in the 2019 musical Gully Boy, none have made a lasting impact. This led to the delay and eventual rushed release of his action film Jodhpur on September 20. Despite starring alongside popular actors actress Malavika Mohanan, the film will probably be a box office hit office disaster and a new misstep in his career

TERRIBLE ADVANI MUST STOP

The recently released Veda has confirmed that Nikhil Advani is one of the most overrated directors in Bollywood despite repeatedly getting high-profile projects. After a strong directorial debut with the globally successful Kal Ho Naa Ho in 2003, he has spent the last 21 years delivering a string of disappointing films, one after the other. These include the painfully long Salam-e-Ishq (2007), the nonsensical Chandni Chowk to China (2009), the faint recreate Hero (2015), and the dreadful romantic comedy Catti Batti (2015), which effectively ended Imran Khan’s career. Other failures include the uninspiring sports drama Patiala House (2011) and the flop animation Delhi Safari (2012). His one and only successes since his debut Day (2013), which underperformed, and the overestimated Batla House (2019), which attracted attention largely due to to a popular article number. His latest failure, Vedahas flopped spectacularly, proving once again that he should not be tasked with directing future Bolly films.wood foils.

SALMAN SONG PURE CRINGE

THE fact that no one close to Salman Khan has told him that he is a terrible singer continues to expose him to humiliation whenever he steps behind a microphone. The Bollywood actor recently delivered the cringe-worthy love song You are minewhich he both sang and co-wrote. It’s no surprise that the song was unbearable and trolled a lot on social media. mediaEven with heavy auto-tuning the song remains could not mask Salman’s lack of singing ability, further illustrating how he becomes out of touch as he ages .

REWIND QUEENS POSTPONED

THE Rewind Queens UK tour with iconic singer Alisha ChinaAlka Yagnik, Kavita Krishnamurthy and Anuradha Padwal have been postponedThe shows have been rescheduled for early next year to give Yagnik time to recover from a serious illness. The concerts will now take place in January at Resorts World Arena, Birmingham (25) and OVO Arena in London (26). Tickets bought for the original data to stay valid for the rescheduled shows.