Bollywood star Alia Bhatt has found herself at the centre of social media scrutiny following her appearance as a presenter at the BAFTA Awards 2026 in February. The controversy started when Alia gave a red-carpet interview, which became popular after she failed to answer the question about which movie has the most significant plot twist. The clip quickly went viral because internet users made fun of her facial expressions and her uncertain response, leading them to believe she was pretending to be an international star.
Alia addressed the backlash in an interview with fashion commentator Diet Sabya, questioning why such a simple moment became a major talking point. Her answer explained why she took time to answer: she had not watched “Gone Girl” in the past 10 years and needed to remember its famous monologue. Alia used humour to explain that her sister called her an “uncool girl” because she thought Alia showed more sweetness than coolness.
The BAFTA appearance also drew criticism for Alia’s supposed “fake” accent during her presentation and for her choice of a custom Gucci gown, which went against her public animal advocacy. While some people appreciated her choice to begin her speech with “Namaskar,” others viewed it as a public relations tactic aimed at appealing to Indian audiences.
Alia Bhatt hits back at trolls
The Jigra actress says, “Why is it being talked about so much? Is it because of my expression?” She further added to what was going on in her mind, saying, “So basically I really think it is the best twist but I have not liked watched it in…when did it release? 10 years ago? So I have not watched it after that.” Adding, she stated, “So when she was like, ‘that monologue,’ I was like ‘haan’ (yes) and I was going back in my head that oh ya, ‘that monologue, correct correct correct’ and she was mentioned cleaning the floor and I was like like ‘haan’ (yes) so I was like going back in time and I guess that’s what you saw. I am a cool girl. I am a sweet girl. But I could be… total… I mean I can be like… I am more sweet than I am cool. Actually, I don’t think I am cool. I am uncool girl, my sister would say that.”
