In a significant legal maneuver to protect the financial interests of high-budget cinema, the makers of the Kannada films Mark and 45 have obtained court orders to disable ratings and reviews on the popular ticketing platform BookMyShow. This move, which follows the precedent set by the film The Devil, aims to curb the rising phenomenon of organized "hate reviews" and digital review-bombing.
As of December 25, 2025, audiences attempting to rate Kiccha Sudeep’s Mark or the star-studded 45 (featuring Shivarajkumar, Upendra, and Raj B. Shetty) on BookMyShow are met with a notice stating that the rating feature has been disabled due to a court directive. This proactive strategy is designed to protect these big-ticket releases from "paid negative reviews" and fan-base rivalries that can unfairly tank a film's reputation before it even completes its first day of screenings.
The Strategy: Protecting the Box Office from "Organized Fear"
The production teams argue that their massive investments—often running into tens of crores—are vulnerable to small groups that use digital platforms to spread misinformation. In many cases, 1-star ratings are flooded onto a movie's page within minutes of the opening show, often by users who haven't even watched the film. For Mark and 45, both of which are high-stakes projects for Sandalwood, the makers believe that a clean opening window is essential for neutral audiences to form their own opinions based on genuine word-of-mouth.
A Growing Trend in Sandalwood
The trend began on December 11, 2025, with the release of the film The Devil. Director Dinakar Thoogudeepa was the first to seek legal intervention, citing that his previous projects had suffered from "paid hate campaigns" intended to sabotage the film culture. By shifting the focus away from digital scores, producers hope to bring audiences back to theaters without the bias of manipulated online metrics.
