Director Neeraj Ghaywan slams Tere Ishk Mein's violence as 'not even smart, it's plain ugly'

Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan has launched a sharp public critique of the violence in Tere Ishk Mein, the web series currently streaming on an OTT platform, describing it as 'not even smart' and 'plain ugly'. The directness of the rebuke — coming from a director celebrated for his nuanced, humanist filmmaking — has made it one of the more discussed film-world interventions of the day.

Ghaywan did not frame his criticism as mere squeamishness about on-screen violence, but rather as an aesthetic and moral objection to how that violence is constructed and presented. By distinguishing between violence that serves a narrative purpose and violence that is gratuitous or technically inept, he set a critical benchmark that puts the onus back on the makers of Tere Ishk Mein to justify their choices.

The criticism arrives at a moment when Indian OTT platforms have been under increasing scrutiny for graphic content. Streaming services have significantly raised the intensity of violence, language, and sexual content in their productions over recent years, often in pursuit of engagement metrics. Ghaywan's comments add a filmmaker's voice to a conversation that has largely been dominated by regulators and audience complaints.

For the team behind Tere Ishk Mein, the remarks represent an unwanted spotlight. Whether they respond publicly or allow the work to speak for itself, Ghaywan's intervention has ensured the show's content choices will be examined more critically by both audiences and fellow filmmakers.