Actors Should Be Real: Shahid Kapoor Reacts To Claims Of 'Paid Negative Campaigning' Against Alia Bhatt During Cannes 2026

Shahid Kapoor, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film Cocktail 2, co-starring Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna, is busy with the promotions. During one such interview, the actor was asked about his views on "paid PR" against Alia Bhatt during her red carpet appearance at Cannes 2026 and whether this was done out of insecurity. The duo shared screen space in the 2015 film Shaandaar.

Shahid Kapoor's take on Alia Bhatt's Cannes appearance trolling

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Anupama Chopra asked Shahid, "So, we were at Cannes, and one of the first interviews I did there was with Alia, and then over the successive few days, I watched just the awful, graceless trolling and conversation and negativity and all of that, right? And then a couple of days ago, somebody said to me that… And this is not somebody who’s just like an outsider, but somebody who is deeply embedded in the business, and somebody whom I trust… So, somebody said that this was actually paid campaigning against her because actors today are so insecure. I said that doesn’t even make any sense. What is happening?

To this, Shahid reminded us that we are living in a social media era and one cannot fake things anymore. "Actors should be real, not insecure and jealous. People get angry when u try to manipulate perception of yours anymore," he continued.

On negative remarks against actors, he said that it comes with the job. "The money and the fame is a part of the job along with the negative aspect. And that’s how life balances itself sometimes, that with all that love can come that much negativity.”

Netizens hail Shahid Kapoor's remark

Soon after, the clip went viral on the internet with netizens lauding the actor for indirectly slamming Anupama for bringing up the topic of Alia. "Why is Anupama even bringing up Alia during an interview with Shahid. What's he gotta do with her trolling or as if he cares," a user commented. Another user wrote, "Shahid’s reply was so sensible. After a long long time heard a celebrity talking some sense and explaining things as they are without beating around the bush, and without being offensive." A third user wrote, "She brings up Alia in every interview irrespective of who is the actor sitting in front of her." A user wrote, "He indirectly called aloo (Alia Bhatt) manipulative lmao."

For the unversed, Alia Bhatt received flak when a video from the Cannes 2026 red carpet went viral, where she was posing for the camera, but none of the photographers clicked her and was busy focusing on other celebrities on the carpet.

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