One of 2026’s most-awaited films, The Odyssey, is set to release this week on Friday, July 17.

Ahead of the release, filmmaker Christopher Nolan and the cast of the film addressed a press conference in Mumbai on July 11.

At the presser, the team – director Nolan, producer Emma Thomas, and actors Matt Damon and Tom Holland – spoke about the making of the epic, and why they chose Mumbai as one of the destinations in their global promotional tour.

While the social media has been abuzz with reels and videos from the event, a leading entertainment journalist has called out the press conference for failing to adhere to standards.

Mumbai-based Rohit Khilnani posted a video on Instagram and claimed that press freedom was literally shredded at the event, which he attended in person.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DasAoKbotcs/?igsh=MTE4cW12bXZveTN6NQ==

“When press freedom was shredded in front of Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and producer Emma Thomas at the Mumbai ‘Press Conference’ of The Odyssey,” he wrote, calling the press conference ‘worst experience’.

The journalist claimed that while the event was a press conference, the press or the media were not allowed to ask questions or record videos.

He shared a brief, discreetly-recorded clip where Khilnani claims an employee of the PR firm, which organised the event, said that it was a global mandate not to allow any recording by the media.

Khilnani further said in the video posted on Instagram that when he asked a PR publicist if he could ask questions, the person told him to share the questions and then they will see if the same could be facilitated.

The journalist called out the event for permitting ‘planted questions’ at the press conference while having ‘real journalists’ there.

“It turns journalists into actors. These are global icons, they deserve authentic conversations. If no one is telling you the ground reality, I will,” the journalist wrote in the post.

Khilnani summed it up when he concluded his post with this message: “Entertainment PR requires a very specific skill set, and unfortunately, this assignment was handled like rookies without the expertise, experience, or understanding that such engagements demand.”

The post Journalist slams ‘The Odyssey’ Mumbai presser for ‘curbing’ press freedom, says PR firm handled it like rookies appeared first on India Communication Forum.