Alia Bhatt Is Right, We Shouldn't Watch Movies Of Stars We Don't Like

Actor Alia Bhatt is being trolled on social media for asking moviegoers to not watch her films if they don't like her. Social media naturally responded in the only way it knows to these days when it comes to Bollywood- by trending Boycott Brahmastra, targeting Bhatt's upcoming film. The trolls are slamming the actor for her "arrogance" and no one seems to be bothered about what kind of mental health impact can such online abuse have on a woman who is pregnant.

So, this is where we are at right now as a society - small kids (remember how Taimur Ali Khan was trolled?) and pregnant women, no one is immune to the wrath of the anti-Bollywood brigade who see themselves as warriors that'll change the landscape of cinema, and end the era of Khans, Kapoors and nepotism. Or so they believe.

Bhatt is not a stranger to being targeted online, be it for not knowing who the President of India is during her debut on Koffee With Karan, or for just being Alia Bhatt- daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actor Soni Razdan, who was launched by Karan Johar. During a recent interview, she addressed the hate she received for her lineage and stardom, saying, "I believed the only way I could shut the conversation down is through my movies. So, don’t respond, don’t feel bad. Of course, I felt bad. But feeling bad is a small price to pay for the work that you are respected and loved for. I delivered a film like Gangubai. So, who’s having the last laugh? At least until I deliver my next flop? For now, I am laughing."

Bhatt further said in her " target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview with Mid-Day that she cannot keep defending herself verbally. "And if you don’t like me, don’t watch me. I can’t help it. That’s something I can’t do . People have something to say." She went on to add that hopefully, she will prove with her movies that she is actually worth the space she occupies.

Suggested Reading: Trolled For Looks, Entrepreneur Vineeta Singh Asks Why Rules Are Different Of Women?

Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan too was subjected to trolling before the release of her film Laal Singh Chaddha earlier this month. Trolls had started circulating a snippet from one of Khan's old interviews in which she said, "The audience has made us, no one else has made us. Same people pointing fingers are the ones who have made these nepotistic stars right? Aap jaa re ho na film dekhne? Mat jao. Nobody has forced you. So I don’t understand it. I find this whole discussion is completely weird.”

Kareena Kapoor and Aamir Khan in Laal Singh Chaddha

Bhatt and Khan are absolutely right. There's no point in sitting through a movie if you do not find the actors on screen likeable or have a bone to pick with, regarding their views on any issue that is close to your heart. But then why do we continue to troll actors? Why are people choosing to abuse a pregnant woman, or in Khan's case her children, because they do not approve of who these stars are or what they stand for (or don't)? Isn't the best way to convey our disapproval of certain stars or films via box office numbers?

However, the reason why most Hindi films are failing at the box office isn't the result of a boycott drive on social networking platforms, as trolls might want to believe. The poor turnout is because the industry has failed to generate films that the audience feels like investing its time and money in, especially in a post-COVID era marred by the economic crunch and health concerns. What online trends achieve is nothing but the satisfaction of heckling a celebrity, perfectly knowing that all they can do is ignore mob mentality or issue a statement against it. Will any superstar have the time or energy to go after every faceless nameless troll that speaks ill about them or their loved ones? Hardly.

Lack of accountability, the rush of seeing your views getting likes and retweeted by others, and the sense of victory from slamming, shaming or abusing a public figure - are just some of the reasons why people stick with online abuse, instead of starting productive conversations on how the course of cinema can be changed for good. We do not care about issues like sexism, promotion of rape culture or objectification of male and female bodies in our films. We are in this battle was cheap thrills that come with trolling and there are simply no winners here.

The views expressed are the author's own.