Divya Khossla Kumar, wife of producer Bhushan Kumar, has publicly criticized Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt for their involvement in the recent film ‘Jigra‘.
The ‘Savi’ actress had accused Alia and Karan of engaging in ‘fake ticket bookings’ to inflate the box office numbers of Jigra. To support her claims, she even shared a photo of an empty theatre playing the film.
However, in a recent interview, Divya defended Alia, stating that she doesn’t need to rely on such tactics as she is already a popular and well-established actress.During her conversation with Hindustan Times, she emphasized that true heroism lies in standing up against wrongdoing and stated that it should be the audience who decides a film’s success based on its merit, rather than relying on money and influence.
She also addressed the allegations of manipulating box office collections, stating, “After Covid, smaller production houses have shut down, and only those with financial resources are surviving. I saw an empty theatre, yet Jigra’s opening figures were inflated, which is something that needs serious correction.” She claimed that false numbers are often reported for certain films.
“We are creative people, not in the stock market, but by releasing fake box office numbers, some media outlets end up promoting bad films. When good films succeed, no one talks about it. These individuals decide which films will be declared hits by purchasing tickets and announcing fake collections. This ensures that only those with money can survive in the industry, while new talent struggles to break in,” she explained.
In the same interview, Divya also accused Johar of using ‘derogatory language’ to shut down her allegations. She alleged that KJo’s recent “fool” comment was aimed at her. Outraged by this, she questioned whether it was appropriate to belittle a woman for pointing out unethical practices, asking if it was right to refer to her in such a manner.
Directed by Vasan Bala, ‘Jigra’ which released on October 11, earned Rs 4.55 crore on its opening day and went on to collect Rs 16.75 crore over its opening weekend.
