Explainer: Why TSeries' Divya Khossla accused Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt of 'unethical practices'

This row comes after the Alia Bhatt-Vedang Rainer starrer 'Jigra', produced by Karan Johar hit the theatres last week. The film, which revolves around a jail break, and directed by Vasan Bala collected just ₹4.55 crore on its opening day and is unable to cross even ₹20 crore on its fifth day.

So, what is the controversy between Divya Kumar, who also happens to be the wife of Bhushan Kumar, the chairman and MD of music record label and production company, T-Series.

Also read: Jigra role for Alia Bhatt: Karan Johar slams 'misinterpretation' of Vasan Bala's comments

Who is Divya Khossla Kumar?

Besides being the wife of T-Series' head honcho Bhushan Kumar, Divya is an actor, producer and director herself. She made her debut in the entertainment world in music videos such as Falguni Pathak's 'Aiyyo Rama' and 'Zid Na Karo Ye Dil Ka' opposite Salman Khan. After acting in a few films, she switched to directing and made two hit films, 'Yaariyan' in 2014 and 'Sanam Re' in 2016.

How did the row start?

After the release of 'Jigra', which has not really set the cash registers ringing, Divya Khossla Kumar took to her Instagram Stories to share a picture of an empty theatre and accused Alia Bhatt of manipulating box-office numbers. She shared a picture of an empty Citi Mall theatre in Mumbai and said, “Went to Citi Mall PVR for Jigra show. Theatre was totally empty…all theaters going empty everywhere. #Aliabhatt me sach mein Bahut #Jigra hai.. khud hi tickets karide aur fake collections announce kar diye. Wonder why paid media is silent. #weshdnotfooltheaudience #truthoverlies #HappyDussehra Х (sic).”

She accused the makers of 'Jigra', including Karan Johar, of inflating box-office numbers despite low attendance at screenings. “I saw an empty theatre, yet 'Jigra’s opening figures were inflated. That needs serious correction,” Divya stated.

What was the point she was trying to drive home?

Divya was putting the spotlight on the larger issue of alleged box-office manipulation in Bollywood, asserting that such "unethical practices" undermine the credibility of the industry.

“We are creative people; we are not in a share market,” she said in an interview with Hindustan Times. She challenged the growing trend of declaring films as ‘hits’ based on inflated box-office numbers. In her view, a true merit of a film should be determined by its content and artistic value, not by "manipulated numbers" to present a false impression of success.

Also read: Industry is in a creative crisis: Karan Johar on remuneration of stars, changing audience taste

Did Alia Bhatt and Karan Johar react to her allegations?

Alia Bhatt has been silent, while Karan Johar posted a cryptic message on his social media handle amid this drama: "Silence is the best speech you will ever give to fools.” He did not directly address Divya or the allegations she made against 'Jigra'.

How did Divya react to Johar’s response?

Divya immediately reacted to this statement and said dismissively, “No one is a king here, and I won’t be treated like a subject.”

Further, she attacked Karan for talking down her and that she was a nobody and had established herself in the industry.

His response is indicative of a larger problem in the industry, where those with power use their influence to belittle and silence those who raise legitimate concerns, she pointed out.

Divya also pointed out that Alia did not need to resort to such tactics since she is already a well-established actor. But "true heroism is in speaking against wrongdoing", she said, adding that the audience should be left to decide about a film purely based on merit, not money and power.

Did Divya have any other issue with Alia Bhatt?

According to Divya, her film 'Savi', which is streaming on Netflix and released earlier this year, shares a similar plotline with 'Jigra'. 'Savi', which also features Anil Kapoor, tells the story of a simple housewife who attempts to free her husband from a high-security prison in England through a jailbreak.

Divya said, “Both films share the same story, but my film went into production first.” Interestingly, 'Savi' is co-produced by Alia's uncle Mukesh Bhatt. 'Jigra', which has not received good reviews from critics, is about a sister played by Alia Bhatt who organises a jailbreak to rescue her brother who is falsely implicated in a drug case in a foreign country.

Is there another angle to this controversy?

The Bollywood film, Rajkummar Rao-Triptii Dimri starrer 'Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video' also released in theatres at the same time as 'Jigra'. Both films had a decent opening and trade experts were closely comparing the performances of the two films in the theatres. The catch here is that 'Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video' is produced by Divya's husband, Bhushan Kumar. (Bhushan Kumar was named in the MeToo movement by an actress)

Is this a sign of a deeper malaise in Bollywood?

2024 has been a year of hits and misses for Bollywood. In the words of Divya, "After Covid, smaller production houses have shut down, and only those with money survive." Her frustration at the system is evident as she lashed out at "false" box-office numbers put out for certain films and "certain media persons highlighting bad films".

"When good films work, no one talks about that. These people decide which film will be declared a hit, as tickets are bought and fake collections are announced. And that’s why only those people will be able to survive here, who have money. New talent will never be able to enter,” she stated, throwing light on a deeper malaise that seems to be affecting India's biggest entertainment industry.