Social media has been abuzz for the past two days with reports that actor-director Joju George allegedly called and threatened a reviewer who criticized his film Pani. The reviewer, Adarsh, shared the audio of Joju’s phone call on Facebook, claiming he posted it to prevent Joju from doing the same to others in the future.
The audio reportedly includes Joju challenging Adarsh, asking if he has the courage to meet him in person. Adarsh stated that he simply shared his honest opinion about the film, despite Joju’s intimidating tone. Joju, however, later clarified in a video that he did not threaten Adarsh but admitted that he reacted out of frustration and anger, as he was upset over the review spreading spoilers and urging people not to watch the film.
Joju explained, “If someone doesn’t like my movie, they should just say that. I worked for two years on this film, and this person is sharing spoilers and discouraging people from watching it in multiple groups. I don’t personally know this person and have no grudge against him. I called him not because of his freedom of opinion but because he did this intentionally. I will proceed legally, as this movie is my life’s work, made with a huge investment.”
He added that while he understands the importance of accepting criticism, it’s difficult to know how to handle such targeted reviews. Joju emphasized that he hasn’t reacted to other negative reviews, but this incident pushed him to respond.
The controversy has sparked a mixed response, with some supporting Joju’s stance and others criticizing him for his reaction. The situation continues to evolve, with audiences and industry members taking sides on the matter.
