Why is #BoycottAliaBhatt trending on Twitter?
Actor-producer Alia Bhatt has become the latest celebrity to invite the wrath of netizens. The Highway actor—who is currently busy promoting her upcoming film Darlings—has been dominating Twitter since Wednesday evening, albeit for the wrong reasons. Several Twitter users have claimed that the dark comedy thriller promotes misandry and exploits domestic violence for humor, leading to a clarion call to boycott her.
What did netizens think of the film?
After the film's trailer dropped on July 25, it instantly grabbed eyeballs for highlighting the turbulent issue of domestic violence in India, with a dash of dark humor. However, it doesn't seem to have gone down well with a section of viewers, who now believe that the film will not make a case for women's safety, but promote guttural violence against men instead.
Did trailer really promote misandry?
The trailer followed a lower-middle-class woman (Bhatt), who refuses to sacrifice herself at the altar of patriarchy and decided to exact revenge on her abusive husband (Vijay Varma). There are graphic scenes of them hitting each other, though Bhatt eventually seems to emerge victorious.
Twitter labeled Bhatt as 'India's Amber Heard'
Following the trailer release, a journalist penned their views for Firstpost and wrote that "Darlings normalizes domestic violence." Now, this article is being shared profusely to further the boycott cause and netizens have claimed that Bhatt is becoming "India's Amber Heard." One person wrote, "For Bollywood, domestic violence on men is a matter of joke," while another accused Bhatt of "misusing the POCSO Act."
One of the many tweets doing rounds on Twitter
Here's another one
Everything you need to know about 'Darlings'
Darlings will mark Bhatt's foray into production under her banner Eternal Sunshine Productions. It has been co-produced by Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment. The film has been helmed by debutant Jasmeet K Reen, who has also penned the story alongside Parveez Sheikh (Queen, Bajrangi Bhaijaan). It also stars Shefali Shah and Roshan Mathew and will release on Netflix on Friday (August 5).
Several other films have met similar fate in recent times
This isn't the first time Twitter users have demanded to boycott a film or an actor ahead of their film's release. Recently, several netizens claimed that the character of Shuddh Singh from Shamshera was "Hindu-phobic" and hence, the film must not be supported. Similarly, Laal Singh Chaddha and Raksha Bandhan—two films propped up for August 11 release—have also been marred by similar controversies.
