Alia Bhatt BREAKS silence on the trolling she faced for being a star kid; says “I can’t keep defending myself verbally. And if you don’t like me, don’t watch me.”

By Fenil Seta -

August 22, 2022 - 1:53 PM IST

Alia Bhatt is enjoying one of the best times of her career. Her film Gangubai Kathiawadi is a rare Bollywood hit in recent times. Her Netflix release Darlings has been widely appreciated. Her upcoming film with hubby Ranbir Kapoor, Brahmastra, has generated a huge buzz. And lastly, her marriage and pregnancy announcements were warmly received by the public.

Alia Bhatt BREAKS silence on the trolling she faced for being a star kid; says “I can’t keep defending myself verbally. And if you don’t like me, don’t watch me.”

However, two years ago, things were different. After the demise of Sushant Singh Rajput, several celebrities, especially star kids, were targeted. She sadly was the one who got maximum trolling, after her mentor Karan Johar, who launched her in Student Of The Year (2012). Her film Sadak 2 (2020) was released during this period and though it was poorly made, it received far more trolling than it would have gotten had it been released before.

During an in-depth conversation with Mid-Day, Alia Bhatt opened up on this aspect. When asked if such extreme trolling affected her, she replied, “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!”

Alia Bhatt also added, “I can’t keep defending myself verbally. And if you don’t like me, don’t watch me. I can’t help it. That’s something I can’t do [anything about]. People have something to say. Hopefully, I will prove to them with my movies that I am actually worth the space I occupy.” Nevertheless, she was honest enough to admit that there was a part of her which was wondering “What the hell is this nonsense? Why is this happening for no reason?”.

The word ‘nepotism’ became a household name after Kangana Ranaut uttered it in Karan Johar’s talk show, ‘Koffee With Karan’. In 2020, Alia and other ‘nepo kids’ were attacked and were accused of using their family connections to become big while those who are from outside are suffering.

Alia Bhatt reminded that nepotism exists in every industry, and it can only help till a certain point, after which you have to prove your worth. She elaborated, “You can similarly put somebody forward for a job in tech, marketing, or finance. But if he messes up that job, the company goes into a loss. [Likewise in films], the audience is the biggest barometer for success. If they believe you’re worth that success, they will give it to you.”

Alia Bhatt concluded this argument by asking “How can I control where I am born, bhai.” She added that tomorrow if her child wants to join the movie business, he or she will have to prove and will need to have thick skin.

Also Read: Alia Bhatt reveals how much she was paid for her debut film, Student Of The Year