‘The star system cannot be the only way of summing up films by our critics’, says Shah Rukh Khan; South superstar Mammootty agrees with him

By Vandana Srivastawa

on June 15, 2019

Bollywood stars have often come out and spoken negatively about the way film critics pan their films. They have often said that they do not believe in the film critiquing business and vouch for the audience’s reaction as the validation they trust for their films. Recently, Shah Rukh Khan had called out the film critics for reviewing a film and relegating it to a ‘hotel service’ with a 2 star, 3-star rating. Apparently, in an interview with an entertainment portal, Southern superstar Mamooty has also agreed with SRK and said that the audience should not get swayed by these critics but should have their opinion on a film.

Shah Rukh recently had said, “We as a film fraternity have to be truer to ourselves, to the stories we set out to tell. So I request all my critic friends here, please don't be like us Bollywood film stars, and get carried away by what Bollywood succumbed to many years ago - the star system. The star system cannot be the only way of summing up films by our critics. 3 stars, 3.5 stars, 3 and a quarter stars, 5 stars...It's a film, not a hotel for God sake. With critics sprouting all over, film critic is becoming an endangered species. Please let it not get replaced by consumer service.”

Mammootty agreed with SRK’s opinion and told an entertainment portal, “Making the audience come to the theatre and if that is being influenced badly, then of course, he (Shah Rukh Khan) maybe right. But then who will control it? He can only request, that I can also do... The audience should see and then they should decide if it's a good film or a bad film. They should not listen to others. Unless you watch yourself...then what is your identity then? You should have an opinion about it. You should not follow other's opinion is what I feel. Of course, the answer is same (as Shah Rukh Khan)."

Well, Shah Rukh and Mammootty might be right in their places to have a similar viewpoint but the fact remains that since a film’s credibility is judged today by its box office numbers, what they are saying is not actually feasible. If a viewer goes and watches the film his viewpoint about the film doesn’t get registered but the ticket sales do which ultimately transforms a pathetic film also into a blockbuster. Hence a lot of times film critics actually help a viewer decide on which film to watch instead of just following the star power.

(Source: TimesNow)