The recently released song ‘Tabaahi’ from Yash‘s upcoming film ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ has been doing the rounds on the internet. While many praised the chemistry between Yash and Kiara Advani, a section of social media users criticised Kiara for appearing in romantic scenes after her marriage and motherhood. The trolling soon caught the attention of British actor Benedict Garrett, who is also part of the film, and he decided to address the issue through a strongly worded video shared on Instagram.
Benedict Garrett questions the double standards behind the trolling
In his video, Benedict directly questioned the double standards surrounding the reactions to the song. “I’ve seen people praising Yash, filling his comments with fire emojis and saying how amazing he looks. But when it comes to Kiara Advani, she’s become the butt of jokes. People are saying things like, ‘Oh, she only just got married, she’s a mother, she’s on a honeymoon instead of Sidharth Malhotra.’ Seriously?” he said. He further added, “Yash, he’s also married, and he also has children. So why is only the woman getting the abuse, while the man apparently gets the applause? Listen, here’s the reality check. They are actors. Their job is to act, to portray characters, to make you believe that they are in love, even when they’re not.” Benedict also argued that the criticism had nothing to do with Kiara’s performance. “They’re not criticising her for her acting. They’re criticising her for being somebody’s wife, for being somebody’s mother. As though marriage somehow means an actress should stop acting. That is ridiculous. The problem is not her professionalism. It’s the double standards and the hypocrisy of the people attacking her,” he said.
Actor calls for a fair approach towards performers
Along with the video, Benedict Garrett also shared a caption questioning, “Why is Kiara Advani being attacked for doing her job, while Yash is being praised for doing exactly the same thing? The backlash over the Tabahi music video says far more about society than it does about either actor…” He stressed that actors portray fictional characters and audiences should separate their professional work from their personal lives. His comments have received support from several fans, who praised him for speaking up against gender-based double standards in the entertainment industry.
‘Toxic’ continues to stay in the spotlight
Directed by Geetu Mohandas, ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ has been one of the most talked-about films. The film has been buzzing on social media, from its posters and teaser to the newly dropped song ‘Tabaahi’. Alongside Yash and Kiara Advani, the film also features Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth in key roles. Scheduled to hit theatres on August 26, ‘Toxic’ continues to build anticipation, while Benedict Garrett’s strong defence of his co-star has added another layer of discussion ahead of its release.
