Vikram Bhatt defends Alia Bhatt against online trolling for 'Alpha'

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has come forward to defend Alia Bhatt, who has been facing online trolling after the teaser release of Alpha, the first female-led film in Yash Raj Films' Spy Universe. Speaking to News18, Vikram questioned the backlash and urged audiences to support Alia for taking on a bold and challenging role.

“Why is Alia Bhatt getting trolled? Poor thing. She’s attempting something different and should be appreciated for it,” Vikram said, highlighting the need to encourage actors who step out of their comfort zones. The teaser of Alpha has sparked mixed reactions online, with some users targeting Alia unfairly.

Sharing his own experience with online negativity, Vikram revealed that his recent film, Haunted 3D: Echoes Of The Past, was also subjected to a wave of negative comments. He believes these were part of a paid trolling campaign. “We were getting a lot of bad comments on the YouTube channel of Anand Pandit Motion Pictures but not on Saregama’s YouTube channel or Instagram. Then we found out that it was a paid campaign, and the people saying bad things were bots,” he explained.

Vikram pointed out that it costs around ₹1 lakh for a thousand negative comments on dhurandhar social media, suggesting that such campaigns are not uncommon in the industry. He emphasized the importance of distinguishing between genuine criticism and orchestrated trolling, urging people not to trust every negative remark they see online.

Alia Bhatt, one of Bollywood’s most celebrated actors, is known for taking on diverse roles. With Alpha, she is stepping into uncharted territory, and Vikram’s support highlights the challenges artists face in the age of social media. As the debate continues, the incident also raises questions about the growing menace of paid trolling in the digital space.