KGF Chapter 2(2022) is unstoppable at the domestic box office in India. Not just on home turf, the film has been receiving an overwhelming response from different parts of the world.
The Prashanth Neel directorial, which stars Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Raveena Tandon, and Srinidhi in lead roles, recently found a global fan in the English Premier League’s No. 2 team, Manchester City, which gave an interesting tribute to the Kannada film with their own star players. The football club, fondly called Man City by its fans, took to Instagram to run a poster featuring three of its finest players, whose first or family names start with the initials K, G, and F.
The poster showed Man City’s three top players—Kevin De Bruyne, İlkay Gündoğan, and Phil Foden—with the words “K.G.F, Kevin Gundo Foden” written boldly on the photo. The football club captioned the post, “Our very own KGF!”.
Within hours, the post went viral and amassed over 1.3 lakh likes and over 4,000 comments.
“This is why we love this club. Your love and respect to the fans is truly admirable,” an Instagram user commented under the picture.
Actor and producer Farhan Akhtar, whose production house Excel Entertainment is distributing the Hindi dubbed version of KGF 2 in North India, commented, “Brilliant” on the post.
Akhtar later shared Man City’s post on his Instagram story and wrote, “When your team and film find each other”.
Excel Entertainment also shared the screenshot of Man City’s KGF 2 post on their official Twitter account.
The period action flick, which hit the marquee on April 14, is on its way to emerging as the seventh highest-grossing Indian film of all time. Experts believe that the Kannada film, which has also been dubbed in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam, will soon surpass the box office collection of SS Rajamouli’s Bahubali: The Conclusion (2017), starring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, and Tamannaah.
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire
Rahul Bhatt sparks controversy over 'insensitive' remarks about sisters Alia and Pooja Bhatt
Rahul Bhatt, fitness trainer and son of veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, has found himself at the centre of a social media storm following controversial remarks about his half-sister, Alia Bhatt. In a recent interview, Rahul drew comparisons between Alia and their older sister Pooja Bhatt, calling the latter more talented, attractive, and principled.
The comments, which many have labelled inappropriate and insensitive, have sparked widespread criticism online. During the interview, Rahul stated, “In my opinion, she (Alia) is not even half of what my real sister Pooja is. Not in talent, not in looks, not in terms of being sexy. In front of my sister, she is ‘paani kam chai’ (watery tea). Amongst the siblings, the most talented and the most moralistic is Pooja.”
Social media users reacted strongly, questioning why Rahul would compare his sisters in such personal terms. Several users were particularly disturbed by his reference to their appearance and sex appeal, pointing out that such comparisons within a family cross boundaries of propriety. One comment read, “This is disturbing. Why talk about your sisters like that? It’s not just weird, it’s wrong.” Another post said, “There’s nothing respectful about comparing your siblings’ attractiveness in public.”
The backlash also reignited conversation around a decades-old controversy involving Mahesh Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt. Rahul was asked about the infamous 1990s magazine cover where the father-daughter duo shared a kiss, which had stirred public outrage at the time. Dismissing the criticism, Rahul said, “It doesn’t make any difference. It’s like water off a duck’s back. We know the truth, and we’ve seen everything since childhood.”
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire, with critics saying it reflects a broader issue of the Bhatt family being insensitive to public perception and boundaries. Many users questioned the need for bringing up old incidents in a bid to defend new and equally questionable statements.
As of now, neither Alia Bhatt nor Pooja Bhatt has issued any public response to Rahul’s remarks. Both actors, known for their significant contributions to Indian cinema, have typically kept family matters private despite living in the public eye.
This episode has also sparked debate over the role of public figures in maintaining respect when discussing family matters in the media. Observers say such comments, especially when involving women’s appearance and personal qualities, reinforce problematic attitudes and fuel unnecessary controversies.
While Rahul Bhatt is not as prominent in the entertainment industry as his father or sisters, his comments have made headlines and placed the Bhatt family in the spotlight for reasons beyond their creative work. For many, this serves as a reminder that public platforms come with responsibility, and that family ties should not be trivialised or dissected for attention or comparison.
The backlash is unlikely to subside soon, especially as fans and followers of Alia and Pooja continue to express disappointment over the way the situation has unfolded. Whether or not Rahul chooses to clarify or apologise remains to be seen.