Alia Bhatt starrer Darlings will hit the silver screen on August 5. Ahead of its release, the film is receiving major criticism on social media. Twitter on Thursday remained dominated by tweets under #BoycottDarlings and #BoycottAliaBhatt.
Tweeple are blasting and disapproving of the film and calling it out for promoting domestic violence against men.
Have a look at Twitter reactions here:
Darlings’ trailer was dropped on July 25. From its trailer, one could guess how the film’s trajectory goes from light-hearted comedy to a dark comedy which touches upon the subject of domestic abuse.
A section of social media users is calling for boycotting Darlings citing the promotion of domestic violence against men. As burdening as these allegations are, it is quite not the reality of the film.
The plot of Darlings is set inside a premise of how the wife, played by Alia Bhatt, of a volatile and alcoholic husband, played by Vijay Varma, tries to reform her husband’s insensitive behaviour, until one day she had enough, as she seeks revenge.
The storyline of the film can be anything but promoting domestic violence against men. At best, it can be critiqued for trivialising the reality of women who go through similar predicaments but don’t have the option to take similar stringent actions.
Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani starter Kabir Singh, which did quite a number at the box office, created a massive controversy during the time of its release. The film was accused of encouraging toxic masculinity and sexism in society. Some might also suggest that this portrayal of a woman seeking revenge in Darlings is quite similar to Kabir Singh.
However, the dynamics of both the characters are dissimilar to the point that it doesn’t actually need articulate reasoning for anyone to guess the difference.
Though it is important to comprehend that the actions taken by the lead in Kabir Singh were due to the complexity of the character, which could arguably be a celebrated reflection of hypermasculinity in society. It is quite contrary to the role played by Alia in Darlings.
Alia’s character doesn’t adopt a preceded mindset of every woman, her character only explores the extremes of a woman’s mindset who is responding to domestic abuse which sets the two characters apart as polar opposites in terms of dynamics.
The character played by Shahid Kapoor in Kabir Singh is an oppressor whereas Alia Bhatt’s character Badru is the one who is being oppressed. This is what would have happened to Preeti in Kabir Singh if she had enough of Kabir’s hypermasculinity way of life.
Nepotism hate
The call for a boycott by the so-called cinema lovers can be speculated to be fueled by the political bias against Bollywood that has recently settled into the country. The vilification of Bollywood, which tangibly came into play after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, began a reservation against star kids who profits off by being a product of nepotism.
Alia Bhatt, the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan, also faced a lot of criticism for being a star kid. She, however, managed to recede the tag through her incredible performances in films like Gangubai Kathiawad, Gullyboy, Highway, Raazi, and others.
Bhatt troop and their political opinions
Another faction that has reservations against Alia and her family is the ones whose political ideologies do not align with the Bhatts. Alia and her family have had a history of speaking their mind and sharing unpopular opinions on several occasions.
Alia, during the Police Crackdown on the students of Jamia Millia Islamia, posted a question on social media urging her friends from the fraternity to tweet or message Prime Minister Narendra Modi by condemning the actions taken by the police.
Soni Razdan had also once opined how she will believe she would be better off living in Pakistan, which was said in light of the situation in India.
Have a look at the tweet here:
Alia Bhatt and her citizenship
Alia Bhatt and Soni Razdan have a British citizenship. The mother-daughter duo cannot vote during elections in India. Earlier, Alia has expressed about hoping to have a dual citizenship as she would love to vote.
Both Alia and Soni were brutually trolled over their citizenship back then.
The highly-anticipated film Darlings marks Alia Bhatt’s debut as a producer and her second collaboration with Vijay Varma after Gully Boy. Are you rooting for Darlings?
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin praises Sai Pallavi’s film Amaran, says great to bring true stories
The trailer has been released in various languages, with notable personalities such as Nani promoting it in Telugu, Tovino Thomas in Malayalam, Shiva Rajkumar in Kannada, and Aamir Khan in Hindi.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday lauded the team of Amaran including film starrer Sai Pallavi and Sivakarthikeyan as well as director Rajkumar Periasamy for capturing the bravery and dedication of Tamil Nadu army veteran Major Mukund Varadarajan in his film.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said that he watched the film at the invitation of veteran actor Kamal Haasan
“I watched a movie yesterday #amrnnn after accepting the invitation of my artist friend @ikamalhaasan. It’s great to bring true stories to today’s youth in the form of books – as well as movies! Director @Rajkumar_KP, Major Mukund Varadarajan – Tirumiku has emotionally captured the bravery and dedication of Tamil Nadu army veteran Major Mukund Varadarajan. My congratulations to all the crew of Thambi @Siva_Kartikeyan, @Sai_Pallavi92 and #Amaran for portraying the roles of Indu Rebecca Varghese very well! Big Salute to our soldiers who protect the country – Major Mukund Varadarajan who lives in our memory! @RKFI @gvprakash,” Stalin posted on X.
Recently, the creators of Amaran released the film’s trailer, featuring Sivakarthikeyan in the titular role of Major Mukund Varadarajan. The film narrates the compelling story of the decorated soldier who commanded the Indian Army’s 44 Rashtriya Rifles Cheetah Company and made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. Sai Pallavi joins the cast as well, and the film is premiering today.
The trailer opens with a striking statement from an officer to Major Mukund: “You do not choose 44 RR; 44 RR chooses you,” effectively setting the tone for the heroism depicted in the film. It offers glimpses into Major Mukund’s personal life, showcasing his family’s reaction to his choice to join the military and the love story he shares with Indhu, portrayed by Sai Pallavi.
Intense action sequences illustrate Major Mukund, as played by Sivakarthikeyan, in battle, where he resolutely declines a retreat order from his superior, asserting, “I’ll save every life I can and come back, sir.” Indhu expresses her pride, stating, “I am proud of him being an army officer and me being an army wife.” A poignant moment captures Sivakarthikeyan’s character stating, “This is the face of the Indian army,” highlighting his unwavering determination.
Kamal Haasan, one of the film’s producers, shared the trailer on social media, stating, “Leaders seldom choose a trodden path. They create one where there is none and blaze a new trail. #MajorMukundVaradarajan of Tamil Nadu is one such leader. We take pride in telling his story.”
Inspired by the true events chronicled in Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh’s book “India’s Most Fearless”, Amaran serves as a tribute to a genuine hero. The trailer has been released in various languages, with notable personalities such as Nani promoting it in Telugu, Tovino Thomas in Malayalam, Shiva Rajkumar in Kannada, and Aamir Khan in Hindi.
The trailer concludes on an emotional note, featuring Major Mukund’s daughter asking Indhu, “You told me appa will come for my birthday, will he come?”
Directed by Rajkumar Periasamy and produced by the iconic Kamal Haasan, alongside R. Mahendran and Sony Pictures International Productions, Amaran poignantly tells the story of Major Mukund Varadarajan and his wife Indhu, encapsulating their journey of love, sacrifice, and the profound personal losses encountered during Major Varadarajan’s heroic service to the nation.
Reshma & Riyaz Gangji Libas closes day 1 with a spectacular finale at the Bombay Times Fashion Week
The finale walk became the talk of the town as the father son designer duo – Riyaz & Aman Gangji stole hearts as they broken into a groovy dance number with Ronit and Soundarya.
Television megastar Ronit Bose Roy and the vivacious Soundarya Sharma took to the ramp as the showstoppers for Libas. Saundarya was seen wearing a floral pink lehanga from the collection Mastana while Ronit wore an ivory white bandhgala trench coat handcrafted with cut dana work
The collection personified all things bridal and trousseau. The collection transcends through a palette of pristine whites, softened blacks, and muted gold undertones. The show was a poetic journey of transformation and rediscovery.
Master pieces from the BTFW collection will be on display at the Libas stores at Pedder Road, Mumbai and in Dubai.
The finale walk became the talk of the town as the father son designer duo – Riyaz & Aman Gangji stole hearts as they broken into a groovy dance number with Ronit and Soundarya.
The set of the show was well appreciated by all guests including top bureacrats, bussiness heads, industrial tycoons and socialites from various walks of life.
The VIP lounge saw Aman Gangji play gracious host as it buzzing it with dignitaries and guests enjoying the peppy music and fun vibes. Aman is all set to take the reigns of the multiple businesses that Reshma & Riyaz Gangji have built in the past 3 decades.
All in all the evening was an amazing display of youthful energy by both Father and Son.
Priyanshu Chatterjee, Tarun Khanna, Monalisa, Archana Gautam Shine at Global Fashion Parade presented by Art Media, an Initiative of IBB Chronicles by Archunaa Jaiin
Industrialist Shyam Singhania, who has known Archunaa for years, lauded her hard work, evident in her projects, and expressed his admiration for her efforts, along with saluting her mother’s presence at the event.
The Global Fashion Parade, magnificently organized by Archunaa Jaiin of IBB Chronicles, was held at St. Regis Hotel in Mumbai. Presented by Art Media Ads Private Limited, the event was graced by several celebrities, including Shaina NC, Seema Singh, Anil Kashi Murarka, Shyam Singhania, Mahesh Patil, and Archana Jain, who together inaugurated the event by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Well-known figures such as Priyanshu Chatterjee, Bigg Boss fame Archana Gautam, Monalisa, Anusmriti Sarkar, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Daksh Sethi, Harry Anand, Khalid Siddiqui, Umesh Pherwani, and Ekta Jain were also in attendance. The event was hosted by anchor Simran Ahuja, directed by Shie Lobo .
The Global Fashion Parade 2024 featured four shows, with the first being for Style Castey (Vamika Luthia Jewelry), where Monalisa, Daksh Sethi, and Vishwajeet Pradhan were the showstoppers. The second show was presented by Meet and Greet Foundation by Lubdha Ritesh Porwal, with Veeri’s Lifestyle Studio’s Veeri and Neelima as presenters. Divya Porwal opened this show, and Archana Gautam, Anusmriti Sarkar, and Daksh Sethi were the showstoppers. The third show was for Oishi Diamonds, opened by Simran Ahuja and Daksh Sethi, with Umesh Pherwani, Divya Porwal, Anuradha Gupta, Tarun Khanna, and Smriti Khanna as the showstoppers. The grand finale was by Bobby K, where the openers were Nadya and Daksh Sethi, and the showstoppers were Priyanshu Chatterjee and Anupama Kuvar.
Shaina NC congratulated Archunaa Jaiin and emphasized the importance of women empowerment, commending her for this remarkable initiative. The presence of Seema Singh, Anil Kashi Murarka, Pratap Sarnaik, and Shyam Singhania spoke volumes about the significance of the event.
Seema Singh of Meghashrey Foundation praised the event for being held during Navratri, emphasizing Archunaa’s dedication to women empowerment and environmental protection. She also expressed her gratitude to Shaina NC for consistently encouraging women.
Industrialist Shyam Singhania, who has known Archunaa for years, lauded her hard work, evident in her projects, and expressed his admiration for her efforts, along with saluting her mother’s presence at the event.
Philanthropist Anil Kashi Murarka described Archunaa Jaiin as a “rock star” for her outstanding work in the field of women empowerment, adding that the present and future belong to women.
Actress, model, and social media influencer Ekta Jain also impressed everyone with her ramp walk, as did Monalisa and Vishwajeet Pradhan, who praised Archunaa’s vision and initiative.
Archunaa Jaiin expressed her heartfelt gratitude to all the guests, including Shaina NC, Seema Singh, Priyanshu Chatterjee, and Archana Gautam, for supporting the cause by attending the event. She also hinted at announcing another grand show in the near future.
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