Alia Bhatt slams 'Botox gone wrong' rumours on internet

Jigra' star took to IG to lament misinformation

Bollywood star Alia Bhatt has taken to Instagram to fiercely address the rampant speculation surrounding her appearance. In a no-holds-barred response, she slammed a segment of the internet for perpetuating unfounded rumours that she has undergone cosmetic surgery for aesthetic reasons.

"Absolutely no judgement towards anyone who chooses cosmetic corrections or surgery - your body, your choice," Alia stated, signalling a supportive stance towards personal choices while demanding accountability from those spreading misinformation.

With a tone that oscillated between frustration and disbelief, Alia called out the unsubstantiated claims asserting that she had Botox and that the procedure had gone horribly wrong, allegedly leaving part of her face paralysed. "But wow, this is beyond ridiculous!" she exclaimed.

"To the random video floating around literally claiming I've had Botox gone wrong—and to the numerous clickbait articles— I have a 'crooked smile' and a 'weird way of speaking,' according to you." Here, Alia makes a crucial point: the absurdity of such claims underscores the hypercritical scrutiny celebrities endure, often reduced to mere fodder for sensational headlines.

The Jigra star's passionate tirade didn't stop there. She highlighted the profound impact of misinformation, especially on young, impressionable minds, warning of its dangerous ripple effects across the cultural landscape. "These are serious claims being casually thrown out there with zero proof, no confirmation, and absolutely nothing to back it up," she asserted. In an age where misinformation spreads like wildfire, Alia's remarks resonate as a clarion call for responsible discourse.

She dove deeper into the issue, critiquing the pervasive objectification of women online. "Let's take a minute to address the absurd lens through which women are judged and objectified on the internet—our faces, bodies, personal lives, even our bumps are up for critique," Alia pointed out. For many critics of digital vitriol, a troubling trend has been a growing knack for tearing people apart.

Alia further insisted that such unrealistic standards breed discontent, making countless women feel as though they are perpetually "not enough." Perhaps most poignantly, she lamented the role of women in perpetuating this culture of judgement. "And the saddest part? A lot of this judgement comes from other women," she noted.

Earlier, the actor was embroiled in controversy over her recent film Jigra after Bollywood film producer Divya Khossla took to Instagram to slam the creators for lying to audiences.

On her handle, Divya drew similarities between the Vasan Bala film and her own feature Savi, alleging that Jigra's creators plagiarised her creation. The premises of the two films are comparable to a degree, since Jigra follows the story of a sister executing a prison break to rescue her brother, while in Savi, a housewife performs the same operation for her arrested husband.

Divya took to Instagram to vent out her anger on Alia's alleged stunt. She posted a photo of an empty show of Jigra on her Instagram and wrote, "Went to Citi Mall PVR for a Jigra show. The theatre was empty. All theatres were empty everywhere. Alia Bhatt truly is a Jigra. Bought tickets herself and announced fake collections online. Wonder why the paid media is silent."

According to The Economic Times, the film fared poorly in theatres since its October 11 release. Made on an overall budget of INR900 million, the action film was only able to bag INR42.5 million on the day of its release. The Telugu-dubbed version saw a harder fall, earning only INR0.5 million, with screenings at areas such as Warangal and Nizamabad producing zero turnout.