'Pani' director Joju George faces backlash for threatening critic over call, explains himself in video message

Actor Joju George faced backlash after an audio recording surfaced of him threatening a Facebook user who criticized his directorial debut, "Pani." Joju explained his actions, citing frustration over pirated copies and repeated negative posts.

An audio recording of actor Joju George threatening a Facebook user who criticized his directorial debut, Pani, has gone viral on social media. The recipient of the threat, Adarsh HS, shared the recording online, in which Joju challenges him to meet in person. In a post along with the audio of the call, Adarsh wrote, "Yesterday, I posted a critical review of Joju George's film 'Pani' on Facebook. Today, after reading it, an intolerant Joju called me to threaten me. He might have met people intimidated by threats, but such tactics won't work here. I gave him a fitting reply during the call and am sharing this to ensure he doesn’t do this to anyone else".

In response to the backlash from the viral audio, Joju offered an explanation. He acknowledged making the phone call, stating, "I felt the need to explain a few things. I'm relieved that *Pani* is doing well. It’s a film with a significant investment, and the initial negative reviews were disheartening. However, the audience has embraced the film."

Joju continued, expressing frustration over the emergence of pirated copies and the subsequent negative reviews. "I haven't called any other reviewer. Everyone has the right to express their opinion. But this person copied and pasted the same review in multiple places, circulated it, and told others not to watch the film. I didn’t call him because of his review; it was the repeated posting that prompted me to reach out. This film represents two years of my hard work, and based on what I know, I will pursue legal action. No reviewer should reveal major spoilers, yet he wrote about the main plot point," Joju said in a video message.