'Kashmir Files', film based on exodus of Hindus from Kashmir in early 1990s, showed unexceptionally high ratings on Online film and television series database IMDb days after its release on March 11. According to reports, the movie, starring Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi and Darshan Kumaar, had a rating of 9.9 before IMDb took note of "unusual voting activity".
What did the IMDb say?
"Our rating mechanism has detected unusual voting activity on this title," the rating database said on its website. "To preserve the reliability of our rating system, an alternate weighting calculation has been applied." The rating of the Kashmir Files, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, came down to 8.3 after IMDb changed the voting pattern. However, IMDb said the rating mechanism would not be disclosed to keep the 'rating mechanism effective'.
"IMDb publishes weighted vote averages rather than raw data averages," it said. "The simplest way to explain it is that although we accept and consider all votes received by users, not all votes have the same impact (or 'weight') on the final rating."
How do IMDb ratings work?
Joyjeet Pal, associate professor at University of Michingan, explained the mechanism of ratings on IMDb is 'broken'. "Kashmir Files has a near total top end rating. Films don't get rated as magnificent universally," Pal wrote. "This places it well above every Indian film ever made. This also puts Vivek Agnihotri in the category of Coppola, Spielberg, Tarantino, Scorcese, Kurosawa among others whose films hit that note."
"The win of Kashmir Files on IMDB is a great case study of misinformation, in technical terms 'astroturfing' or a flood of activity presenting as reality something is the narrative of a small but very loud minority," Pal added.
Why Is Kashmir Files In Controversy?
Kashmir Files is a film based on the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir valley in early 1990s when militancy broke out in the region. Owing to targeted killings and alleged threats from militants, majority of Hindus left their homes overnight and escaped to Jammu. There have been allegations that the film has exaggerated certain events and attempted to demonise certain people and activists, like the role of a Radhika Menon, a JNU professor played by actress Pallavi Joshi, who provokes students to fight for freedom in Kashmir.
The film has been made tax-free in states like Gujarat, while police cops in Madhya Pradesh have been given a day off to watch the film. The political endorsement of the film has been high. "People who always raise flag of freedom of expression are restless. Instead of reviewing on facts, campaign being run to discredit it," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while mentioning the Kashmir Files on Tuesday at BJP Parliamentary Party meet.
On Monday, videos from movie theatres were shared on social media where charged up audiences chanted provocative ad anti-muslim slogans like 'desh ke gadaaro ko, goli maaro sa**o ko (shoot the anti-nationals)' after watching the film. Director of the film, Vivek Agnihotri's favouring of the right-wing politics on social media has also added to the controversy.
What did Vivek Agnihotri say on IMDb row?
Director Agnihotri has slammed the IMDb over the change in ratings pattern. He termed the move as 'unusual and unethical' after a Twitter user mentioned the change introduced by the rating database.