2 hrs ago
Inside Bollywood’s Paid Trolling Industry and Its Rising Costs
Some Bollywood publicity companies are accused of paying people and using fake accounts to attack other stars online.
These groups can make rumors look like they are coming from ordinary fans.
They may use real people, computer programs, or large numbers of fake profiles.
The attacks can involve gossip, insults, mass-reporting accounts, and even threats.
People interviewed in the article say both men and women in the film industry have faced such campaigns.
Women are described as facing especially harsh abuse.
Some campaigns cost thousands of rupees, while large campaigns can cost more than Rs 50 lakh.
Film professionals say this can hurt people’s mental health and sometimes affect films and careers.
Others, including Anurag Kashyap, say the main damage may be emotional rather than a guaranteed effect on a film’s success.
Online Reputation Management agencies are accused of coordinating troll farms to spread misleading or defamatory narratives against film personalities.
Industry sources say campaigns can range from account mass-reporting costing thousands to sustained operations exceeding Rs 50 lakh.
The reported methods include paid human trolls, bots, aged accounts, SIM farms, scripted comments and coordinated hashtags.
Actors and filmmakers including Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Anurag Kashyap and others describe trolling, threats or mass-reporting campaigns.
Several industry voices say paid trolling harms mental health, artistic expression, public discussion and the film business, while its exact impact is difficult to measure.
- Who
- Bollywood actors, filmmakers, screenwriters, critics, publicists, Online Reputation Management agencies and alleged paid trolls.
- What
- An article examines alleged paid online trolling campaigns used to damage reputations, influence public opinion and affect film releases.
- Where
- Across Bollywood and social-media platforms, including Instagram, X, Reddit, WhatsApp and YouTube.
- When
- The article describes the practice as ongoing and says it has operated in India for more than a decade; examples span 2022 through recent film releases.
- Why
- According to industry voices, rival camps and publicity operations use trolling to shape perception, promote films or undermine competitors.
Industry Critics and Targets
More Limited Impact View
Effect on films and careers
Industry Critics and Targets
Several actors and industry professionals say organized trolling can shape public perception, damage artistic expression, affect careers and influence the commercial prospects of films.
More Limited Impact View
Anurag Kashyap says paid trolling does not necessarily have far-reaching effects beyond harming people’s mental health, although that harm can itself affect careers.
Organic versus paid criticism
Industry Critics and Targets
Industry voices argue that many apparently spontaneous attacks are deliberately designed by agencies and amplified through fake accounts, making public sentiment difficult to assess.
More Limited Impact View
The article acknowledges that some trolling may be organic, and it does not establish that every negative post or campaign is paid.
Key facts
- Campaign costs
- Mass-reporting an account can cost thousands of rupees; a coordinated attack involving 1,000 posts was cited at Rs 1 lakh.
- Large campaigns
- Sustained smear campaigns can cost more than Rs 50 lakh, according to an ex-paid troll.
- Reported tools
- Methods include human trolls, bots, aged accounts, SIM farms, scripted comments and coordinated hashtags.
- Term used
- The article describes mass creation of false online identities as “sockpuppetry.”
- Reported targets
- Examples include Kartik Aaryan, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Kriti Sanon, Katrina Kaif, Varun Dhawan, Ranveer Singh and Anurag Kashyap.
- Reported harms
- Interviewees cite reputational damage, threats, disrupted social-media traction, mental-health effects and possible effects on film businesses.
Quotes
Riddhima Kapoor
Actor and member of the Kapoor family who discusses rival entertainment PR campaigns.
“In entertainment, it’s often rival camps buying buzz for one star. The line between real fan anger and rented anger has basically disappeared, and there’s no legal accountability for the agencies running. It’s extremely sad, but true”
indianexpress.com
“They seem to get away with using vile language, issue rape threats and death threats with no consequence”
indianexpress.com
A former paid troll
Former participant in paid trolling who explains campaign methods and pricing.
“Of course, human troll farms cost much more than bots. Artificial Intelligence has also made it more economical, but if you need that human touch, shell out more money. The best mix, I’d recommend, is kicking it off with human trolls, and then amp it up using bots”
indianexpress.com
Sources
Related news
Nora Fatehi Alleges Paid Influencers Amplified Sarke Chunar Backlash
Toxic's Early Negative Reviews Face Unconfirmed Paid PR Allegations
Bengaluru Court Shields Yash’s Toxic From Online Smears
Shatrughan Sinha Claims BJP IT Cell Paid Trolls Targeted Sonakshi
Amaal Mallik Accuses Rivals of Paid PR Against Yeh Awarapan
Amaal Mallik’s ‘Yeh Awarapan’ Dispute Leads to Film-Music Break
Sudhir Dalvi’s Sai Baba Role Brought Fame, Worklessness, and Support
Sudhir Dalvi Recovers as Film Industry, Trust Provide Aid
Kartik Aaryan Takes Flying Lessons for Captain India Role
Kartik Aaryan’s Captain India Begins London Filming In September
