Alia Bhatt’s latest release Jigra has found itself caught in the whirlwind of controversy ever since its release. The film, co-produced by Karan Johar, became a focal point of debate when producer Divya Khossla Kumar, wife of Bhushan Kumar, accused Jigra of copying the plot of her recently released film Savi. Things escalated quickly as Divya also claimed that the box office figures for Jigra had been inflated, sparking a social media spat involving Karan Johar and, indirectly, Alia Bhatt.
Divya made headlines after posting an Instagram Story of an empty theatre showing Jigra, with the insinuation that the film’s opening numbers were being manipulated. She took aim at Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt, questioning their ethics in how the film was marketed and its box office performance reported.
Divya Khosla has alleged that Alia Bhatt buys tickets of her own movies & announce fake collections. 😭😭
I am not surprised tbh. pic.twitter.com/ownYmJc5Ew
— Incognito (@Incognito_qfs) October 12, 2024
Now in an interview with Hindustan Times, Divya criticized Karan’s response to her claims, saying, “Today, when I speak up, Mr Karan Johar uses derogatory language to shut me down. Is it right to call a woman a fool for pointing out unethical practices?” She also took jabs at Bollywood’s PR machinery, accusing Johar’s team of trying to shut her down with derogatory remarks.
What’s even spicier? Divya didn’t hold back when speaking about Alia Bhatt, implying that the actress didn’t need to rely on these supposed tactics to boost her film’s numbers. “Alia doesn’t need to resort to such tactics; she’s already well-established. But true heroism is in speaking against wrongdoing. Let the audience decide based on merit, not money and power,” she said.
She continued to call the unfair practices and said, “I saw an empty theatre, yet Jigra’s opening figures were inflated. That needs serious correction. We are creative people, we are not in a share market, and by giving fake box office numbers, certain media persons also highlight bad films. These people decide which film will be declared a hit as tickets are bought and fake collections are announced.”
Meanwhile, another allegation was thrown at Jigra by Mary Kom actor Bijou Thaangjam, who claimed the film’s casting process was discriminatory toward actors from Northeast India. And to add more fuel to the fire, Kangana Ranaut—never one to shy away from controversy—took an indirect swipe at Jigra, insinuating that the downfall of women-centric films comes when people try to sabotage them.
I’m not writing this with any agenda or accusations. I just want to share the reality of how actors like me from the Northeast are often treated by big production houses. Hopefully, this sheds some light on what we face. #Jigra #JigraMovie #AliaBhatt #DivyaKhosla #VasanBala pic.twitter.com/zZBZjxOz6k
— Bijou ThaangJam (@BijouThaangjam) October 13, 2024
Despite Jigra showing some box office recovery over the weekend, the storm surrounding its release continues. With accusations of plagiarism, box office manipulation, and discrimination, it looks like the film has generated more buzz for its off-screen drama than its on-screen action.
