Alia Bhatt: Why We Love To Hate The Women Among Us
It is perhaps, an open secret that we are the biggest online proponents of mental health wellbeing, and also, the biggest reason some people are driven to insanity. Just scroll through the comments section of countless female celebrities, and you’ll spot loose comments on ageism, fat shaming, moral policing, and if the celebrity or even (non) celebrity who dares put up her personal images or life on a public profile, would have God forbid, spoken or acted in ways that do not align with our beliefs or value systems, she’s signed her “virtual” death warrant. Misogyny much? Well, actually, men are also in the line of fire, often, it’s about the collective hate we throw online, perhaps to rid ourselves of a measure of cognitive dissonance, emotional outburst or childhood trauma that leads us to unleash on those we don’t even know. (P.S. that last sentence was laden with sarcasm, a disclaimer not to take it to heart).
The recent viral news on our feeds was Bollywood actor and celebrity Alia Bhatt’s take on the online criticism she received on her appearance, allegedly Botox gone wrong, crooked smile et al. The comments have been relentless enough for her to retaliate. Does she sport a crooked smile on purpose to amplify her dimple? Did she take to Botox with slightly botched results? And, the age old defense that many love to throw around, the criticism comes with her celebrity status, she can just live with it.
Perhaps all of the above is true.
And perhaps it’s not.
What is true is that she cannot deny her ancestry and also that, some work, if not a lot, will land in her lap because she is the daughter of so and so and the wife of xyz. But if those calling out Nepo kids really want to take a long, hard look at the works of past “Nepo kids”… no one can ride on success only because of a DNA gone right (or wrong). And Bollywood is testament to that. Many celebrities have attempted to launch their kids, and not all have met with success. Many have fizzled out after their first few attempts at “not so filmy” performances. That says a lot for the public and why we will not watch what we will not accept as a watch-worthy performance.
And although I am not a huge Alia Bhatt fan, I have to say, she has received her fair share of criticism. And the outburst online is how a human being will react often when they receive nonstop hate. And hate is something we’re very good at. Just visit the comments section on her latest post, and you’ll see what I mean.
I personally don’t think it’s a big deal. We have to accept these things happen. Nepo kids get a foot in the door no doubt, but if they stop selling with the masses, the scripts will stop coming. Yes it’s harder for newcomers to break an entry but it is what it is. Life isn’t fair. Neither is the casting couch, and trolling of celebrities because it comes with the job or micro scrutinising their personal lives which often turns them into the b—- they become. It’s a chicken and egg situation.
And now, as for her dimple…we’ll come to that
Alia’s appearance was also called into question when she promoted Heart of Stone, with netizens calling out her whiter than white skin tone. Lately, her ability to land the role in Jigra was called out as Nepotism. And for those who remember, when she sported a reel on how to apply lipstick and then rubbed off the excess to reveal that her husband prefers lighter lipstick on her… oh well, hell let loose on that one.
Which urges me to question: Are we offloading our personal childhood (and adult) traumas and resentment, on women who are perfectly happy doing and sharing what they do (even if we weren’t)? Are we making them feel more conscious, and less safe online? Are we forcing them to post curated, staged content online, because we have a problem with their real selves? Are these the same people who campaign for mental health and inclusivity?
Now here’s the thing, if Alia Bhatt or anyone else is so conscious of flaunting her dimple, it is probably because we might have done it to her. We have subjected someone to nonstop trolling, over and over again (and it’s not just Alia Bhatt I’m talking about, she is merely a case study, where many other individuals have also been victim). Now, God forbid she has a flop at the box office, she’s done for.
Here’s the take, and be honest when you answer this one
Do we tend to become misogynistic about any woman who seems self-assured, successful, happily married, and thriving? We wait for something to go wrong with her marriage, her career, her health, or that she makes a faux pas on stage to be publicly embarrassed. We love celebs who garner our sympathies; women we can defend. People and celebrities like Alia Bhatt are outspoken, defiant, and fiercely confident about their life choices. But something about a woman’s smugness, success, or lack of apparent vulnerability tugs at our insecurities, and we just decide she should have a hate brigade. Hence, she gets trolled relentlessly.
And if for any odd reason, even if she is pulling that dimple on purpose, why can’t we just let it be? Why can’t we just let her and women like her be? If she’s doing it on purpose, we have obviously done it to her, we have made her do it (unconsciously or consciously), due to a perpetual barrage of online criticism. If she does have a vulnerability (and who doesn’t), we have an urge to exploit it, make memes on TikTok, and give our two cents troll comments to jump on the “hate Alia” bandwagon. Note to readers: “Hate Alia” can be replaced with “Hate —,” fill in the blanks with many more female celebrities on both sides of the border.
And possibly, we have a treasure trove of trolling content and comments to sit back and enjoy our 2 minutes moment of fame on the internet… something we criticize and perhaps, resent, another woman for receiving.
