4 September 2026 (Navroze Bureau) : The Indian film industry is facing growing scrutiny over the use of paid online trolling and reputation-management campaigns, with industry insiders alleging that rival camps sometimes spend substantial amounts of money to damage the public image of actors, filmmakers and even critics.
A report by The Indian Express’ entertainment publication SCREEN describes an increasingly organised ecosystem in which online reputation-management (ORM) agencies, troll networks, social-media influencers and rival public-relations teams can be used to manufacture or amplify negative narratives.
How Paid Trolling Works
According to industry professionals quoted in the report, paid trolling can begin when a celebrity’s rival camp wants to create a damaging narrative around another star.
An ORM agency may then activate networks of social-media accounts that post, repeat and amplify allegations or misleading claims, creating the impression that a particular controversy represents widespread public anger.
The report describes these networks as organised groups of faceless online voices that can be hired to influence public perception.
PR Wars Move Online
Paid reputation battles are not entirely new to Bollywood.
A PR professional quoted by SCREEN said rival camps previously used newspaper leaks and anonymous stories to attack competing stars. Social media, however, has made such campaigns easier to scale because large numbers of posts can be generated quickly and spread across multiple platforms.
The major difference is that social-media campaigns can blur the distinction between genuine audience criticism and criticism that has been deliberately manufactured.
Rented Anger Can Look Like Public Opinion
One of the biggest problems identified by industry insiders is the difficulty of determining whether online outrage is genuine.
A coordinated campaign can involve numerous accounts repeating the same allegation or criticism until it appears to be an organic trend.
The report quotes a PR professional as saying that the boundary between “real fan anger and rented anger” has increasingly disappeared.
Celebrities Can Become Targets
The alleged campaigns can involve everything from criticism of an actor’s performance to rumours about their personal lives.
In one example described in the report, a social-media speculation involving Kartik Aaryan and a young woman was allegedly amplified through competing troll networks, even after the woman clarified that she did not know the actor.
The example illustrates how quickly an unverified claim can develop into a larger online narrative once multiple accounts begin amplifying it.
The Business Behind Reputation Management
ORM agencies traditionally help celebrities and companies monitor online sentiment and respond to negative publicity.
According to industry insiders quoted by SCREEN, however, some agencies can become involved in more aggressive reputation battles, including attempts to undermine rival celebrities.
The report suggests that this has turned online reputation management into an increasingly important part of the entertainment industry’s business ecosystem.
Critics Also Face Online Attacks
The alleged trolling ecosystem is not limited to actors.
Film critics and reviewers have also faced coordinated online backlash. The report points to the reaction surrounding Dhurandhar, saying several critics were heavily targeted after publishing reviews of the blockbuster spy thriller.
In one notable instance, an international publication reportedly removed its chief critic’s review following the backlash.
Producers and Influencers Caught in the Middle
Screenwriter Sumit Roy, quoted in the report, alleged that groups of YouTube critics, social-media commentators and film influencers can sometimes pressure producers for money around film releases.
Such allegations suggest that the problem extends beyond traditional PR battles and can involve a broader network of digital personalities seeking financial benefits from the promotional ecosystem.
These are allegations from industry sources and do not establish that every critic, influencer or PR agency participating in film promotion is involved in such practices.
Amaal Mallik Calls Out Alleged Paid Trolls
The issue has also been discussed publicly by people from within the industry.
Singer Amaal Mallik recently accused rival music composer Tanishk Bagchi of allegedly sending paid trolls against the title song of Awarapan 2. Such public accusations have brought renewed attention to the question of whether online criticism around Bollywood releases is always spontaneous.
The allegations remain contested and should not be treated as proven wrongdoing without independent evidence.
Why Stars Often Stay Silent
Despite the potential damage caused by online campaigns, celebrities may be reluctant to publicly confront alleged trolling.
According to the PR professional cited by SCREEN, responding directly can sometimes give the controversy even greater visibility.
Addressing an allegation can inadvertently make audiences who had never heard about it aware of the controversy, creating a difficult choice for public figures between defending themselves and refusing to amplify the narrative.
The Impact on Films and Careers
Online reputation can have tangible consequences for Bollywood personalities.
Negative narratives can influence how audiences perceive an actor before a film’s release, affect social-media sentiment and potentially shape conversations around a movie’s box office prospects.
The report argues that paid trolling has moved beyond being a minor nuisance and can now affect the business and creative environment of the film industry.
Social Media Makes Accountability Difficult
Traditional media outlets generally have editorial processes and standards governing the publication of allegations.
Social media does not operate under the same structure. Anonymous accounts can post claims without revealing who commissioned or funded the content.
This makes it difficult for audiences to determine who is behind a particular campaign and whether a viral narrative reflects genuine public sentiment.
The Growing Need for Transparency
Industry professionals believe Bollywood needs greater awareness of how coordinated digital campaigns can manipulate public perception.
Greater transparency from PR and ORM companies, combined with improved media literacy among audiences, could make it easier to distinguish genuine criticism from deliberately manufactured narratives.