Alia Bhatt reacts to criticism against girl imitating her Gangubai Kathiawadi character, says video ‘was very cute’

Actor Alia Bhatt has responded to the criticism by actor Kangana Ranaut of the little girl imitating former’s character in her upcoming film Gangubai Kathiawadi. In a new interview, Alia praised the child and said that no one should have any issues with it.

Last week, Kangana Ranaut took to Instagram Stories and had raised objections to the video of the girl. She had written, “Should this child imitate a sex worker with a beedi in her mouth and crude and obscene dialogues? Look at her body language, is it ok to sexualize her at this age? There are hundreds of other children who are being used similarly.”

Now, in an interview India.com, Alia said, “I thought it was very cute. I am assuming that it’s not done without the supervision of an elder. If the elder, who’s hopefully, her mother or father or sister or a loved one, is okay with it, then I don’t think we should have any issues with it as people.”

Kangana had slammed the accusation that she called out the video to harm the film’s financial prospects. During her upcoming show Lock Upp’s trailer launch, Kangana had said, “When I am talking about 6 or 7-year-olds being exploited, I don’t think it is to harm anybody in terms of business or the money that they are going to make. Shouldn’t there be a conscience keeper of society? Shouldn’t artists also have an opposing view?”

She had also said, “Do you think that just because it is not in their interest of making money, my voice should be shut? Do you think it should be like that? It is in the interest of the girl children who are being exploited to imitate TikTok videos and imitate a sex worker with a beedi in her mouth. So, you think that just because it doesn’t serve somebody’s purpose economically, my voice should be shut? Nobody’s voice should be shut.”

Kangana has also, in an indirect jibe at Alia, called her ‘daddy’s angel’ and ‘rom-com bimbo’. On her Instagram Stories, she had said, “This Friday 200cr will be burnt to ashes at the box office … for a papa (movie mafia daddy) ki pari (who likes to keep a British passport) because papa wants to prove that romcom bimbo can act… biggest drawback of the film is wrong casting…yeh nahi sudhrenge (these people won’t change) no wonder screens are going to South and Hollywood films … Bollywood is destined for doom jab tak movie mafia has power…”

Responding to the criticism of her and her film, Alia, as quoted by news agency PTI, had said, “Lord Krishna had said in the Gita that inaction is an action. That’s all I want to say.”

Also Read | Kangana Ranaut denies criticising video of girl imitating Alia Bhatt was to harm Gangubai Kathiawadi’s box office

Helmed by filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film is scheduled to hit the theatres on Friday. Gangubai Kathiawadi is about a sex worker and how she becomes a prominent and celebrated figure in the underworld and Kamathipura’s red-light district.