Landlord: Jadeshaa K Hampi and Duniya Vijay go against their promise; restrict reviews?

Landlord director Jadeshaa and leading man Duniya Vijay had said there would be no restrictions on audiences voicing their opinions about the film and yet legal notices went out to select reviewers

Duniya Vijay in Landlord

It began with 2024’s Martin, when the team issued copyright strikes on anyone on YouTube who did not like the film (which was pretty much everyone). More recently, the teams of films like The Devil, 45 and Mark obtained court orders to curtail rating and reviews on popular ticket aggregators like BookMyShow. The latest to join this bandwagon is the Kannada film Landlord, which released on January 23, 2026. A select few popular YouTube reviewers have received injunction notices against publishing reviews of the film.

What did Landlord's Jadesha K Hampi and Duniya Vijay promise?

Ahead of Landlord’s release director Jadeshaa K Hampi had been asked about the trend of blocking reviews and ratings, and had vehemently stated that there would be no such restrictions for his film. Silencing voices would go against the core message of the film, which dealt with socio-economic and religious oppression, he felt. Vijay also reiterated this during an X Space discussion to promote the film. They’ve now gone back on their word.

Also read: Landlord movie review: Duniya Vijay’s fight for rights is an ineffective Kaatera lite

Interestingly enough, it’s not a blanket ban on YouTube reviews, with several making it to the platform. It’s almost as if they carefully picked and chosen those to be excluded. The film team has allegedly claimed that the aim was only to control piracy, and that handles of select few reviewers made it on to the list inadvertently.

Also read: Landlord weekend 1 box office: Despite extended holiday, Duniya Vijay’s latest fails to get to Bheema or Salaga Day 1 figures

Landlord, meanwhile, did not have a great box office opening. The film’s bookings were sluggish and picked up over the extended weekend, following average to good reviews. It has, however, underperformed massively in comparison to Vijay’s own directorials, Salaga and Bheema. How it now fares during the week remains to be seen.

Starring Duniya Vijay in the lead, Landlord is a tale of the rise against generational oppression at the hands of wealthy, upper class landlords on marginalized communities. The film also stars Raj B Shetty, Rachita Ram, Rithanya Vijay, Gopalkrishna Deshpande, Umashree, Shishir Baikady, Rakesh Adiga, Vajradheer Jain, Abhi Dass, Bhaavanaa Raaoh, Sharath Lohithashwa, Avinash, Achyuth Kumar, among others.

Landlord FAQs

Q. What is Jadesha K Hampi's claim to fame?

A. Jadesha K Hampi has made films like Gentleman and Guru Shishyaru earlier and served as writer for Darshan Thoogudeepa's Kaatera befor e returning to direction with Landlord.

Q. When is Landlord releasing in theatres?

A. Landlord released in theatres on January 23, 2026. The film stars Duniya Vijay in the lead, along with Rachita Ram and Raj B Shetty.

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