Ever since Alia Bhatt made an appearance at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, the actor has been facing heavy trolling online, with a section of social media claiming she was seemingly “ignored” by international paparazzi during one of her outings. Amid the chatter, Sonu Sood appeared to defend Alia with a note, saying not every achievement needs validation from cameras, headlines, or strangers to matter.
Sonu Sood supports Alia
On Friday, Sonu took to social media to put out a note to support Alia. He posted the note on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
“When one of our own walks onto an international stage, it should be a moment of pride, not a reason to search for flaws,” Sonu wrote without mentioning the name of Alia.
The actor continued, “Not every achievement needs validation from cameras, headlines, or strangers to be meaningful. The courage to stand there, represent your craft, and carry your journey with grace is an achievement in itself.”
“In a world addicted to trolling, choose encouragement. Because people who are busy building dreams don’t have time to pull others down. Keep shining, my friend. The right people saw your light,” Sonu wrote while concluding.
While Sonu did not directly mention Alia in his post, social media users were quick to read between the lines and link it to the actor. Soon after, several fans flooded the comments section with messages of support for Alia.
One comment read, “Alia Bhatt, here’s a small message for you: Trolls and criticism can never define the true identity of an artist. Those who reach the stage through hard work, dedication, and passion are defined by their craft, not by noise around them. Your presence and your work are your real. identity—noise will always exist, but it is your work that leaves an impact. Keep shining.”
Earlier, actor Aly Goni had also defended Alia against trolls. Taking to Instagram, he wrote, “It’s sad when our own people try to pull down someone who has worked so hard to put India on the global stage. Alia Bhatt has reached places many only dream of, representing our country at Cannes with grace and pride. Instead of mocking and trolling, we should celebrate and support those who make India shine internationally. We rise higher when we uplift our own, not when we try to demean them.”
Alia hits back at a troll
Meanwhile, Alia herself took to social media to give a reply to a troll who commented, “Nobody noticed you”.
On Wednesday, Alia shared a reel flaunting her regal look in a custom ivory silk saree-gown at the Cannes film festival. In the comments section, a person wrote, “What a pity, no one noticed you,” along with a laughing emoji. However, Alia did not hold back and replied to the comment gracefully. She wrote, “Why pity love? You noticed me :).”
The actor walked the red carpet at the prestigious film festival for the second time, following her 2025 debut. She stunned in a peach gown at the opening ceremony, turned heads in an ivory silk saree-gown at the Bharat Pavilion’s inaugural event, and won hearts with her Cinderella-like blue gown at the screening of La Vie d’Une Femme. The film festival started on May 12 and will run till May 23.
Alia made her red carpet debut at the Cannes Film Festival last year. She attended the festival this year as the global ambassador for beauty brand L’Oréal Paris.