Singer Sona Mohapatra has come out in support of Alia Bhatt after the actress faced criticism online for her debut as a host at the Screen Awards. Alia took on hosting duties for the first time at the ceremony held on April 5, where she shared the stage with comedian Zakir Khan and actor-comedian Sunil Grover.
Following the event, several social media users criticised Alia's performance, with some calling it “overacting.” Others felt she sounded “high-pitched” and “nervous,” while a section of viewers said some of her jokes failed to connect with the audience.
Amid the trolling, Sona posted a video on Wednesday (April 8) defending Alia and opening up about the challenges of performing live on stage.
"I'm weighing in on the Alia Bhatt Screen Awards monologue, which has been all over the place and being trolled. First things first, guys, it was live. Live means no retake, no edit, no filter, no rethink. And honestly, doing such authentic work in Bollywood is a big stunt. Most desi actors won't even pick up that mic. She gave it a shot and that itself is amazing," she said.
The singer also spoke about the difficulty of performing in front of a Bollywood crowd, saying that audiences at such events are often not very responsive.
"It is brave. Secondly, let's talk about the audience. Performance is not only on stage when it's live. The audience and the room in front of you also have to perform. It's their duty. And the Bollywood room, they are dead on arrival. I know I've performed in these rooms many times I can give you the example of the Mijwan fashion show to illustrate. Shabana Azmi ji does it to raise funds for the Mijwan weavers. And it is full of stars, designer outfits, flashbulbs. Even when they're around for a good cause, they're like dead. Their vibes there will be, 'My outfit is better than hers', 'Which important actor, director's eye can I catch?' And oh my God, it's a tough, tough audience," Sona stated.
She added that only a few celebrities react enthusiastically during such events. "Except for maybe somebody, let me give credit where it's due. Like Ranveer Singh, who is a trooper, who actually feels something. He's a lovely, he's a darling. Rest, everyone else's selfie mode is on, empathy mode is off. So here, Alia, when jokes land, sometimes the problem is not in you, not in the mic, it's in the room."
Sona also addressed comparisons between Alia and Zakir and urged people not to compare them. "He's an ustad of stand-up. Try getting him to act or dance like Alia, you'll get your answer. Or importantly, he was facing a Bollywood audience, not their direct competition. So they would have been even kinder to him."
Encouraging the Raazi actress, she concluded, "Next time, I think Alia will do even better. Or Bollywood, learn to laugh a little. It won't kill you."
