Viral bus video: ‘Prince and Family’ director slams social media trials explored in film

Filmmaker Binto Stephen has strongly criticised the alarming increase in character assassination driven by the quest for social media fame. He expressed dismay that the issue, central to his debut film ‘Prince and Family,’ has become an unsettling reality. The film explores how a person’s life can be pushed to the edge—a risk Binto says is heightened by the mob mentality often seen online. He warns that subjecting individuals to social media 'trials' before they understand the full circumstances can have devastating consequences, including suicide.

Binto places equal blame on both influencers who fuel negativity for attention and the society that passively enables this behavior. “In the age of social media, people tend to believe the first version they hear,” Binto said. “We are experiencing both its positive and negative sides. I chose social media as the theme of my first film because of its profound influence on our times. Like religion, politics, or cinema it carries both good and bad.”

He observed that people are often more captivated by stories of wrongdoing than by tales of virtue—a tendency that predates the rise of social media. In the past, society thrived on neighborhood gossip, and today, this impulse plays out online, amplified by the reach of digital platforms. Some even leverage this negativity as a marketing strategy when their influence wanes, a trend that is also central to his film’s narrative.

In 'Prince and Family', a characters is pushed to the brink of suicide by an influencer who spreads harmful rumors solely for social media clout. While many knowingly exploit the market value of negativity, Binto emphasised that the hope was always that such stories would remain within the realm of fiction. “Through the film, we wanted to send a clear message: no personal ambition should come at the cost of another person's life.”

He expressed deep concern that the situation depicted in the film is now playing out in real life, resulting in the tragic loss of human life. "Destroying someone else’s life for personal gain is the gravest offense," he said, "and it should serve as a stark warning to us all."

If the allegations raised by the woman in question are true, Binto stressed that it is the role of the courts and the police to step in and deliver justice. Unfortunately, he noted, society is increasingly seeing individuals and bystanders take on the role of judge and jury. Social media, he explained, has become a sharp double-edged sword. Whether influencers or ordinary users, everyone must think carefully before posting, as such content can ruin innocent lives in an instant.

“Whether online or in any profession, no one should be condemned without the truth being fully known,” he remarked. “By the time innocence is proven, a person may have already lost everything. We saw this even before social media, in the case of P. J. Joseph, who was forced to resign as minister and later proven innocent. Despite the times changing, this culture of persecution remains. Little consideration is given to the mental trauma inflicted on those targeted. My hope is for a society that values truth and protects the innocent, rather than hounding them."