Ahead of the release of Aditya Dhar`s Dhurandhar, actress Yami Gautam has penned a reflective note on the growing practice of paid hype. The actress said that the `plague` of spreading negativity around a film before its release will significantly impact the future of the industry. She received support from her Dhurandhar co-star Hrithik Roshan, who also shared his thoughts on the matter.
Yami Gautam on paid negativity around films
On Thursday, Yami took to social media to pen a note highlighting the negativity surrounding her husband`s directorial, Dhurandhar, which stars Ranveer Singh in the lead. She wrote, “This so-called trend of giving money, in the disguise of marketing a film, to ensure good ‘hype’ or else face continuous negative writing (even before a film releases), feels nothing short of extortion. Whether used to hype a film or spread negativity against another actor/film, this arrangement is a plague that will severely impact the future of our industry.”
She continued, “Anyone who thinks this is harmless or believes it`s the new ‘normal’ is mistaken. This monster of a trend will eventually affect everyone. If the truth about a million things under the garb of ‘success’ over the past five years is exposed, it won’t be a pretty picture for many.”
Yami added that such practices would not be tolerated in the South Indian film industry, as they operate with greater unity. “I urge our esteemed producers, directors, and actors to come together to stop this termite-like culture at this stage itself. I say this as the wife of an extremely honest man who has poured his heart, hard work, vision, and grit into this film. I also say this as a concerned member of the fraternity who wants Indian cinema to flourish with its best potential. Let’s not kill the joy of filmmaking—let the audience decide. We must protect our industry`s environment.”
There is something iv been wanting to express since really long, I feel today is that day & I must .
This so called trend of giving money, in the disguise of marketing a film, to ensure good ‘hype’ for a film is created or else ‘they’ will continuously write negative things…— Yami Gautam Dhar (@yamigautam) December 4, 2025
Hrithik Roshan supports Yami Gautam
Responding to Yami`s post, Hrithik wrote, “More than anything, the golden thing that gets lost is the journalist’s true voice—their chance to tell creative teams what they genuinely felt, applauded, or criticised. Only true opinions help us evolve. Their right to freedom gets unknowingly taken away, and so does our chance for growth. Without freedom of expression and the truth guiding evolution, what job satisfaction can anyone hope for?”
About Dhurandhar
Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh in the lead role alongside Sara Arjun. Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna, and R. Madhavan also appear in significant roles. The film is said to be one of the most violent ever made in Indian cinema, with audiences expecting a Hollywood-level scale.
Although not officially confirmed, reports suggest that Dhurandhar is planned as a two-part saga, with part two expected in the first half of 2026. Recent reports also claim the film includes a 4-minute post-credit scene confirming the second instalment. Dhurandhar is set to release on December 5, 2025.
