Actor Faysal Quraishi has criticised paid campaigns against films, warning that such practices harm the entire film industry and undermine public trust.

Sharing a video on his Instagram account, the actor expressed concern over negative reviews that appear shortly after a film’s release, questioning whether some reviewers watch the films before sharing their opinions.

“It was also very shocking for me that a movie releases on Friday and reviews come out on Saturday morning,” he said.

Faysal alleged that some reviewers use identical words and talking points to criticise films, suggesting that they may be repeating a negative narrative circulated in advance.

“And the words are also the same, the things are also the same, because the negative thing that is fed, you are saying the same thing,” he said.

He contrasted this with the approach of serious film critics, who often take two to three days to watch a film and assess it before publishing their reviews over the weekend.

“Whether a film is good or bad is a different debate,” he said, adding that audiences should decide a film’s success or failure based on their own opinions.

Faysal added that films naturally receive mixed reactions because audiences have different tastes and expectations. He said factors such as release dates and the prevailing environment can also influence how people perceive a film.

The actor also highlighted the financial burden on cinema-goers, noting that expensive tickets can make a disappointing film-going experience particularly frustrating for families and groups.

“It’s a very small industry of ours, and in that, when people will do such acts, then you think how much loss will be caused to the entire industry,” he said.

Faysal also warned those involved in paid propaganda that their actions would eventually have consequences for them as well. “The people who will feed you today, one day you will also taste its flavour. Remember that.”

Faysal’s video comes amid reports of alleged paid negative PR against Mango Jutt, a Punjabi film in which he stars opposite Hareem Farooq, who also produced it. The film arrived in cinemas on October 16.

While Faysal did not name any film in the video message, it comes amid discussion over a viral screenshot showing an alleged WhatsApp exchange about a post claiming that Mango Jutt was losing cinema screens in its second week.

In the exchange, someone reportedly asked whether the post was paid for, and the reply was ‘yes’. The screenshot remains unverified.