Here Is Why Alia Bhatt's Darlings Is Facing Backlash

Darlings, Alia Bhatt's first film as a producer, was released on August 5 on Netflix. It was a success, and OTT audiences seemed to enjoy it. Nevertheless, some social media users drew attention to how the storyline used expensive and overbearing branding.

Many viewers who have seen the movie have slammed it for its poor brand positioning. The movie featured several brand placements with just a few frames of screen time. These brands were endorsing tiffin boxes, ketchup, milk, washing powder ,helmet, hair oil, basmati rice, condom, sanitary pads and many other items.

Darlings branding Facing Flak:

Every other frame in the Alia Bhatt-starrer movie has a brand lying in the background if you had the chance to watch it closely. Some brands seem to match the movie's plot naturally, while others seem to be a major force-fit.

An internet user drew attention to the fact that Alia Bhatt's character in the movie uses a high-end cosmetic brand while being from a lower-middle-class family. Internet users responded to this discussion in a variety of ways. Some praised Bhatt's character for striving to evolve in the movie, while others criticised the "terrible brand positioning."

For instance, Bhatt, who portrays a young housewife living in a South Mumbai chawl, may be seen using an expensive ayurveda hair oil in one of the scenes. It is a luxury product that costs Rs 895 for 100 ml. As a result, it doesn't look good in the character's wardrobe. Other items that were observed lying in Bhatt's compact home and appeared out of place were costly laundry detergent, basmati rice, tiffin boxes, and ketchup.

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While the majority of brands in Darlings struggled to find an appropriate positioning, a handful managed to blend in successfully. One such instance of seamless product placement has Bhatt and her on-screen husband, Vijay Varma, each having a mango beverage at separate points in the scene. Both condom and deodorant appeared natural and fit quite well with the scene and characters in the film.

The film is co-produced by Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan under their productions, Eternal Sunshine Productions, and Red Chillies Entertainment.