Alia Bhatt breaks silence amid India-Pakistan conflict; divided netizens claim ‘image building for Cannes’
Ahead of her Cannes debut, Alia Bhatt shared an emotional post about the India-Pakistan conflict this morning. Here's what netizens have to say about it
The last few weeks have been difficult for all of us, but they have been especially harder for those stationed at the borders of India and Pakistan. It all began with a heinous terror attack in South Kashmir’s Pahalgam, followed by India’s response in the form of Operation Sindoor. In a quick escalation, Pakistan carried out drone attacks. The back and forth finally came to an end with a ceasefire agreement. While some Indian celebrities lauded Operation Sindoor on social media and praised the Army for their bravery, others lashed out at Pakistani artists who dared to criticise India. Some celebs, however, kept their silence. Today, Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt who has been vocal about the tensions all along, penned a long emotional note.
Alia Bhatt shared, “The last few nights have felt... different. There's a certain stillness in the air when a nation holds its breath. And over the past few days we've felt that stillness. That quiet anxiety. That pulse of tension that hums beneath every conversation, behind every news notification, around every dinner table. We have felt the weight of knowing that somewhere, out there in the mountains, our soldiers are awake, alert, and in danger. While most of us are tuckered into our homes, there are men and women standing in the dark, guarding our sleep with theirs. With their lives. And that reality... it does something to you. Because you realise this isn't just bravery. It's sacrifice.”
She went on to talk about the mothers of these uniformed soldiers, Mother’s Day and the soldiers India lost. Alia wrote, “We mourn the lives that have been lost, soldiers who will never come home, whose names are now etched in the soul of this country. May their families find strength in the nation's gratitude. So tonight, and every night forward, we hope for less silence born of tension, and more silence born of peace. And send love to every parent out there holding prayers, holding back tears. Because your strength moves this nation more than you'll ever know. We stand together. For our protectors. For India. Jai Hind.”
This post left netizens divided, with some praising Alia and others trolling her. For instance, one social media user claimed, “Great work by PR team. Image building for Cannes. Groundbreaking move. 👏,” whereas another wrote, “And now the Indian celebrities are playing it safe and writing diplomatically about the whole situation after questions being raised by Indian janta asking why no celebrity spoke up when it was time to speak up for the fear of losing millions of Pakistani followers, eh?” Hitting back at trolls, a fan pointed out, “to people saying she didn’t post : alia bhatt posted for the indian armed forces on 7th may itself, and for that post she was called a Zionist by pak fans and also dragged online just for standing by her nation.. Alia had even posted for pahalgam attack.. she has always been vocal. so do not point the gun at her.”
Meanwhile, Alia's mother and veteran actor Soni Razdan, who is a half Kashmiri Pandit, was recently trolled when she shared a peace petition on social media, urging netizens to sign it so both the countries stop the war-like situation. On the work front, Alia will be making her debut on the 2025 Cannes Film Festival red carpet this month.
