Alia Bhatt isn't just an actor. She's a film connoisseur. Her biggest giveaway? Her passion project, Eternal Sunshine Productions.
Now the film which seems to have caught Alia's fancy off late, is one that's also been in the news quite a bit. It's none other than fantasy adventure Malayalam film Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra.
Having watched the film recently, Alia took to her Instagram handle to share a glimpse of the film, penning, "Such a fresh blend of mythic folklore and mystery! So happy to see the love it's getting. This is a step in cinema that I will always be eager to show my love and support for!". She also let her fans know that the film would be releasing in Hindi today, so as to reach a wider audience.
Dulquer Salmaan, who doesn't star in the film, but has produced it under his banner, Wayfarer Films, almost immediately reposted Alia's story to his own Instagram handle, paired with the caption, "Thank you for always championing cinema you believe in Alia !!Lots of love".
It is worth noting that this warm exchange takes place amid a sea of controversy that the film is facing, despite the critical acclaim. The first hit came when audience's took offence to a certain dialogue in the film which painted Bengaluru women as 'characterless', though the line came from an obviously misogynistic character in the film. The issue was addressed in an official statement from the production house which read, "It has come to our attention that a dialogue delivered by one of the characters in our film Lokah: Chapter One has unintentionally hurt the sentiments of people from Karnataka...At Wayfarer films, we place people above everything else. We deeply regret this oversight and assure you that no offence was intended. The dialogue in question will be removed/edited at the earliest. We sincerely apologise for the hurt caused and humbly request you to accept our apology".
{{/usCountry}}It is worth noting that this warm exchange takes place amid a sea of controversy that the film is facing, despite the critical acclaim. The first hit came when audience's took offence to a certain dialogue in the film which painted Bengaluru women as 'characterless', though the line came from an obviously misogynistic character in the film. The issue was addressed in an official statement from the production house which read, "It has come to our attention that a dialogue delivered by one of the characters in our film Lokah: Chapter One has unintentionally hurt the sentiments of people from Karnataka...At Wayfarer films, we place people above everything else. We deeply regret this oversight and assure you that no offence was intended. The dialogue in question will be removed/edited at the earliest. We sincerely apologise for the hurt caused and humbly request you to accept our apology".
{{/usCountry}}Not just this, there also seems to be growing chatter about how Bengaluru as a city itself has been portrayed in the film, though this bit is yet to be addressed. As per an India Today report, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh has asserted that the concerns will be examined by the social media monitoring cell of the Central Crime Branch (CCB), with action being taken if needed.
For now, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, starring Kalyani Priyadarshan, Naslen and Sandy, is running in theatres.