Mumbai: Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur on Friday deplored the “boycott culture” targeting certain films and said such instances vitiate the atmosphere at a time when India is keen to enhance its influence as a soft power.

In case someone has a problem with a movie, he should talk to the government department concerned, which can then take up the issue with the filmmaker, he said.

“But sometimes, just to vitiate the atmosphere, some people comment on something even before knowing about it fully. That causes problems. This should not happen,” he said.

“At a time when India is keen to enhance its influence as a soft power, at a time when Indian films are making waves in every corner of the world, such talk vitiates the atmosphere,” Thakur told reporters here responding to questions on boycott of films by various interest groups.

The minister’s remarks come at a time when Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan, which released on Wednesday, is facing boycott callsover one of its songs.

In the past, Akshay Kumar’s Samrat Prithviraj, Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha and Deepika Padukone’s Padmaavat had faced boycott calls.

Thakur is in Mumbai to inaugurate the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) film festival that will showcase 58 movies.

The minister also made a strong pitch for creative autonomy and said there were adequate safeguards in place for monitoring content on over-the-top (OTT) platforms. “There should be no restrictions on creativity,” Thakur said.

He said the ministry of information and broadcasting does receive complaints about content on OTT platforms, but almost 95 per cent of grievances are settled at the level of producers and the some get resolved at the second stage of the association of publishers of content.

The minister said only one per cent of complaints reach the inter-departmental committee and it is ensured that strict action is taken in such cases.