Rashid Ali

With the New Year just around the corner, let's reflect on the controversies that made headlines in 2023 within the Indian film industry.Adipurush dialoguesOm Raut made the mythical drama 'Adipurush' with the dream of bringing the story of 'Ramayan' to the silver screen but it didn't go well among fans and garnered unanimously negative responses from various quarters.'Adipurush' sparked discussion online as viewers severely critiqued the film's dialogues.The film featured Prabhas, Kriti Sanon and Saif Ali Khan in the lead. People were largely disappointed due to the film's poor VFX and the unrealistic look of various characters including Saif's Raavan. Seeing Saif donning short spiked hair, long beard and kajal eyes, several netizens have compared the actor's look in the film with that of Alauddin Khilji rather than Raavana.Despite the fact that the creators made some changes to the dialogue following Adipurush's release, the film was nonetheless subjected to extensive trolling.2. Alia Bhatt lipstick statementActor Ranbir Kapoor was criticised following his wife and actor Alia Bhatt's statements during an interview. During a lipstick-applying lesson for Vogue in August, she stated that her husband prefers her natural lip colour and has previously during their dating days requested her to 'wipe off' lipstick.While Alia seemingly thought she was sharing a cute detail about her relationship with Ranbir, many social media users did not think so.In the video, she said, "One thing my husband...when he wasn't my husband but when he was my boyfriend as well... he would be like 'wipe that off, wipe that off' because he loves the natural colour of my lips."Alia's statement led to the public labelling Ranbir as a "toxic" husband and a "red flag". After being trolled, the 'Animal' actor also reacted to the trolls who call him 'toxic'.During his interaction with fans via Zoom, Ranbir said, " I was reading some article about being toxic and something relating to some statement I made and I understand this. And I am on the side of the people who are fighting for the toxic masculinity, if they use me as the face of it, it's fine because their fight is bigger than just me feeling sad about them having an opinion about what I said. I look at a larger picture."3. Animal's misogynistic plot'Animal', a film directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, became a point of debate near the end of 2023. While many praised star Ranbir Kapoor's performance, some viewers considered the film offensive. The representation of toxic masculinity, misogyny, a chauvinistic mindset, unnecessary violence, and awful treatment of women sparked outrage online.The film starred Ranbir Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles.4. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh's KWK 8 episodeFilmmaker Karan Johar's famous chat show 'Koffee With Karan', often called as the controversial couch, featured the power couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh in season 8 this year. However, the episode stirred controversy when Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh spoke up about the early days of their relationship, eliciting varied emotions from fans and trolls alike.Deepika admitted that she had casually dated other men after meeting Ranveer sparking debate, with social media ablaze with her comment.During the show, Deepika confessed, "There was no 'commitment' as such." Even if we were technically allowed to see other people, we would just keep coming back to each other." This comment sparked a flurry of reactions online, with some admirers applauding her candour and others criticising her for her prior decisions.This statement was not taken well by fans who trolled her for using Ranveer as a backup plan.Rashmika Mandanna's deepfake videoAside from film-related controversies, an ugly aspect of technology grabbed our attention this year. Several celebrities' viral AI deepfake videos shocked both fans and celebs.In the unconfirmed video, it was seen that woman with Rashmika's face was entering a lift wearing a black swimsuit. The video quickly went viral and several social media users came forward to confirm that it was a deepfake.After the video went viral, Rashmika reacted and penned a note on Instagram story, which read, "Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me, but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused.""Today, as a woman and as an actor, I am thankful for my family, friends and well-wishers who are my protection and support system. But if this happened to me when I was in school or college, I genuinely can't imagine how could I ever tackle this," she added."We need to address this as a community and with urgency before more of us are affected by such identity theft,"Apart from Rashmika, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt and Kajol among others fell prey to the same.

Shweta Tripathi turns a year younger today! The 37-year-old actor marked her presence in the film industry through her unique choice of movies and signature roles where she flourished like a queen.Starting her career as an assistant director, Shweta first appeared on screen as Zenia Khan in the 2009 sitcom 'Kya Mast Hai Life'. From there the actor has come a long way indeed. On Shweta's 37th birthday, let's have a look back at some of her amazing performances!MasaanHelmed by debutant director Neeraj Ghaywan, 'Masaan' was an underrated piece of gem, starring Shweta Tripathi, Vicky Kaushal, and Richa Chada. Revolving around the holy city of Varanasi, the film tells the tale of the caste system prevalent in the country as the characters come face to face with their individual tragedies, all the while accepting their fate. Shweta mastered her role as Shalu Gupta and left a mark on the audience. 2. MirzapurIf other than Saif Ali Khan anyone else's character left an impression in this super-hit crime fiction web-series, it was Golu Gupta aka Shweta Tripathi. Shweta received widespread critical acclaim for her performance in the series which revealed the lawless situation in Mirzapur, a city in Uttar Pradesh. 3. The Gone Game Shweta had aced the crime thriller genre like it was her own. 'The Gone Game' which followed the case of the disappearance of Sahil Gujral was shot exclusively within the confines of a home during the COVID-19 pandemic that was a hit amongst viewers. However, it was Shweta's character Amara Gujral who grabbed eyeballs. 4. Gone Kesh'Gone Kesh' was another remarkable comedy-drama which revolved around an important issue of alopecia. Shweta rocked in the role as a teenager, disagonized with the disease as she battles with aloepecia and societal stigmas. Shweta as Enakshi delivered an impactful performance.5. Laakhon Mein EkShweta as Shreya in the Amazon web series 'Laakhon Mein Ek' essayed the role of a doctor who was posted in Sitlapir village for conducting a cataract camp. Shweta's acting chops and her dialogue delivery in the series were on-point.

After Soumya Tandon quit Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain back in August 2020, the audience was left disheartened as she had portrayed the role of Anita Bhabhi for over 5 years. The actress had also revealed that she designed her own sarees for the show. But wanting to grow as an actor, Saumya thanked the makers of the show and parted on a good note.Soon after her exit, Nehha Pendse was rumoured to step into her shoes on Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain, however, the actress had denied the reports back then. Now, it looks like she will be replacing Saumya Tandon on the show after all. She was also a part of Bigg Boss 12 but could not make it to the finale, however, she has a fan following in tow that are rooting for her return on television.Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain also stars Shubhangi Atre, Aasif Sheikh, and Rohitash Gaud in lead roles. The show has been one of the most entertaining ones and has managed to become one of the most-watched family sitcoms over the years.