'Your husband was in Animal': Netizens SLAM Alia Bhatt's 'need for gender agnostic films in India' remark

Recently returning from the Cannes Film Festival, Alia Bhatt spoke about the need for Indian cinema to move beyond stories designed mainly for male viewers. Reflecting on the global success of films such as Barbie, The Devil Wears Prada, and Wuthering Heights adaptations, she pointed out that movies with strong female audiences have also achieved remarkable commercial success.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Alia shared that the current entertainment landscape is evolving in interesting ways. She noted that several internationally successful films have resonated deeply with women audiences, proving that stories centered around female experiences can become major box office triumphs.

“When I look at the landscape, I think we are in a very fascinating time today,” Alia said, while referring to the success of films like Barbie and The Devil Wears Prada. She added that many of these projects found a loyal women audience that helped turn them into massive successes.

The actor also raised concerns about a long standing belief within the Indian film industry that the majority of ticket buyers are men, leading filmmakers to focus heavily on male centric content. According to her, this approach overlooks a significant section of moviegoers and limits the kinds of stories being told.

“But in India, when we talk about box office and numbers, there is a conversation that comes up pretty often, which is 75 percent of the movie going audience is male, so we need to cater to the masses,” she said. “If we are catering just to the men, then what happens to the women?”

But in India, when we talk about box office and numbers, there is a conversation that comes up pretty often, which is 75 percent of the movie going audience is male, so we need to cater to the masses,” she said. “If we are catering just to the men, then what happens to the women?

- Alia Bhatt

Alia emphasized that cinema should not be divided by gender preferences. Instead, she advocated for films where compelling storytelling remains the primary focus, regardless of whether the lead character is male or female. She expressed hope that Indian cinema will increasingly embrace narratives that connect with everyone rather than targeting a single demographic.

“I am not saying to alienate the men, but why do we have to alienate anyone?” she said. “Why can’t we make movies that are gender agnostic, where the storytelling takes centre stage? Whether it stars a man or a woman should not matter. It is the storytelling that should matter.”

Wel, the actress' comments have left netizens divided. While some are praising her stand a few others are slamming her for the same.

''Alia Bhatt when in India: People called me Lady Amitabh Bachchan after Gangubai

Alia Bhatt abroad: Women are making films like Barbie, Devil Wears Prada, massive hits. But in India we are supposed to cater to the masses coz the movie going audience is male,'' a user wrote.

Sharing the said clip, another user writes, ''your husband was in Animal.'' ''Alia’s hypocrisy is astounding. She heavily promoted the deeply misogynistic movie Animal. She also expressed gratitude to director Vivek Agnihotri, who is known for propaganda movies,'' another user said.

A few others also defended the actress' take and sided by her. ''Why men have less brain cells? I don't like Alia bhatt as a person but she was one of the First people from Spy-verse in bollywood with her film "Raazi", the film had some variations from the book, but she acted well in that movie and what she is saying here is actually right'' ''And she has been in female centric movies like Gangubai, Darlings, Dear Zindagi, Highway etc so she is allowed to have her own freaking opinion,'' said another.

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