Popular YouTube film reviewer Aswanth Kok was arrested by Eranhipalam police in Kozhikode on Monday for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. Police said Kok was driving recklessly near Eranhipalam Junction, endangering other motorists.

A senior police officer said the control room received a report of a person driving dangerously and endangering other motorists. A police team was dispatched to the location and intercepted the vehicle.

“We found him inside the car in an inebriated condition. He was taken into custody soon after,” the officer said.

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Aswanth Kok is known in Kerala for his sharply worded reviews of Malayalam films and his commentary on the film industry, which have earned him a substantial following on YouTube and other social media platforms.

This is not the first time Aswanth has faced legal action. In 2023, he was among those named in a case registered by the Kochi City Police following a complaint by filmmaker Ubaini E., who alleged that social media reviewers had deliberately tried to hurt the commercial prospects of his film Rahel Makan Kora through coordinated negative reviews. The case fuelled a wider debate in Kerala over “review bombing”, the practice of posting excessively negative reviews soon after a film’s release with the alleged intent of discouraging audiences from watching it.