B-Town slammed for vacationing abroad amid India's crippling Covid-19 crisis

India has been hit hard by second wave of the coronavirus pandemic as the situation appears to be worsening by the day

India has been hit hard by the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. From low oxygen supplies at hospitals to lack of beds for patients, the situation appears to be getting worse by the day, with thousands fighting for their lives on the ventilator. This week, Delhi reported 24,368 fresh cases of Covid-19 and 249 deaths due to the disease.

The positivity rate was 31.28%, which is still a very high percentage. For this reason, a slew of Bollywood celebrities have been receiving flak for leaving their home country for a vacation during a time when it is crippling at the hands of the pandemic. While most of them have flown out to the Maldives, others have chosen New York City as their holiday destination.

 

 

 

 

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The stars who jetted out to Maldives include lovebirds Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor and actors Akshay Kumar, Disha Patani, Sara Ali Khan, Tara Sutaria, Kiara Advani, Rakul Preet Singh, Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Shraddha Kapoor among others. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri recently escaped to the Big Apple, as did actor Ananya Pandey.

Celebrity talent manager Rohini Iyer, who handles the accounts of prominent Bollywood stars such as Kareena Kapoor Khan, Katrina Kaif and Rajkummar Rao, lashed out at artists for the same. “For all of you vacationing in Maldives and Goa and exotic locales, remember it’s a holiday for you. It’s a [expletive] pandemic all over. So don’t be an insensitive idiot and post pictures of your privileged life. You are not only coming across as brainless but also completely blind and tone dead,” Iyer posted on her Instagram Story.

 

 

 

 

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B-town divas of all ages and body types have been posting pictures of their bikini-perfect bodies on social media. “This is the time to step up and help or if you can’t do anything, then shut up and stay home! Or stay quiet in your holiday home. Masked up. No photos. This is not Fashion Week,” wrote Iyer.

Lending support to Iyer, celebrity columnist and author Shobhaa De revealed it is the “height of vulgarity” on the part of these stars to flaunt those “ridiculous” pictures. She re-posted Iyer’s message, adding, “Hello! Listen up! Loved this post passionately articulated by Rohini Iyer. Enjoy the Maldives by all means. You are blessed if you can get such a break in these bleak times. But do everyone a favour and keep it private.”

 

 

 

 

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From Disha flaunting her gleaming sun-kissed tan to her rumoured beau Tiger Shroff enjoying taking a dip in the crystal-clear water to Madhuri uploading images of her relaxing at the famous Soneva Jani hotel, the internet has labelled these celebrity plans as “tone-deaf” and insensitive. Echoing the same, actor-singer Shruti Haasan shared she feels this is not the right time to rub "privileges in people's faces."

Talking to The Quint, she said, "I did not personally feel it was a time to go maskless in a pool."
Shruti added, "Glad they had a great holiday, they deserved it. I did not personally feel it was a time to go maskless in a pool. It has been a tough time for everyone and for some people much more. I think gratitude and being thankful for privileges is what is most important to know versus throwing your privileges in people's faces.”

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