Alia Bhatt has been making waves at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, not just for her fashion statements, but also for her latest comments during interactions at the festival. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, the actress reflected on the global success of female-led films and pointed out the contrast in India's male-dominated industry.
Alia Bhatt's Comments on Gender Dynamics in Indian Cinema
Addressing the recent global success of female-led films like 'Barbie', 'The Devil Wears Prada 2', and 'Wuthering Heights', Alia touched upon the gender dynamics of the Indian box office and how filmmakers tend to target the 75% male audience dubbed as 'mass audience'. She raised questions about who would cater to female audiences if films are designed keeping only men in mind. She then clarified, 'I'm not saying we alienate the men, but why do we have to alienate anybody? Why do we have to cater to one gender? Why can't we make movies that are gender agnostic, where the storytelling takes centre stage? So whether it stars a man or a woman, that should not matter. It's the storytelling that should matter.'
Backlash Over Hypocrisy
Her remarks not only went viral but also sparked backlash from netizens who accused the actress of holding 'hypocritical' views given her public support for husband Ranbir Kapoor and his controversial 2023 blockbuster 'Animal', which faced criticism for its portrayal of masculinity and violence against women. A viral post read, 'Crazy how Alia Bhatt behaved like biggest cheerleader of Ranbir Kapoor's Animal while it being the worst misogynist movie.' Others echoed similar sentiments, with one user commenting, 'and where was this mindset when her husband made one of the worst and most misogynistic films that was catered towards and centered around men?' 'Well, she's not entirely wrong, but I'm not sure she had the same thought when her husband made ANIMAL,' another post read.
Several users specifically called out what they viewed as selective criticism within the industry. 'Saying all this and then openly promoting her husband's Animal is peak hypocrisy,' one comment stated. Another added, 'she's not wrong but you can't take a moral stand when your husband is making a movie like Animal, start change from home girl.' Still another said, 'look inside your own house alia. your husband himself is the biggest flagbearer of misogynistic propaganda in bollywood.'
Accusations of Performative Activism
Many social media users also slammed the actress for talking about box office successes but making no mention of the massive box office success of the 'Dhurandhar' franchise, which reportedly earned over Rs 1,300 crore in 2025, while its 2026 sequel is nearing the Rs 1,800 crore mark globally. One netizen commented, 'Alia Bhatt's jealousy over not being part of Dhurandhar is starting to become visible now,' one user wrote online. Another shared the clip and claimed, 'Alia bhatt faked her entire admiration of Dhurandha.' Some also accused the actress of performative activism. 'she makes a valid point but unfortunately, she's also the loudest when it comes to supporting her husband's work who also caters to the toxic male audience with his projects that normalize violence (especially towards women) so her words really just comes off as performative,' read another viral reaction.
Fans Defend Alia Bhatt
However, the actress also found strong support online, with many defending her comments and arguing that the criticism was overshadowing an important conversation about representation in Indian cinema. 'She isn't wrong though..most movie audiences are men and movies are mostly catered to them,' one supporter wrote. Another said, 'if Indian women had jobs and freedom like men and went to movies like men the whole movie industry would have been a lot different..' Another user argued that Bhatt was merely advocating for more balance in storytelling. 'A woman can't talk about how male centric Indian cinema is and how women are underrepresented without men having a problem with it. All she said was women also deserve more stories and yall are mad.' A separate post defending the actress read, 'Alia Bhatt is pointing out that films often cater to gender specific narratives, with women centric stories being fewer. She says that both male and female centric films deserve equal space.'
Alia is in Cannes as the global face of an international beauty brand. She marked her return to the festival on the opening day of the ceremony on Tuesday. Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026, and Telugu movies.
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