October 11, 2024: A very public feud has erupted between filmmaker Karan Johar and Divya Khossla Kumar, the wife of T-Series head Bhushan Kumar. The row began when Divya accused Alia Bhatt’s latest release, Jigra, of being a copy of her film Savi. As tensions rose, Karan Johar appeared to respond with a cryptic post, setting social media abuzz.
After Divya’s allegations, Karan shared an Instagram story that read, “Silence is the best speech you will ever give to fools (sic).” Although he didn’t directly address Divya or her claims, the timing of the post seemed to imply it was aimed at the controversy surrounding Jigra. The film, which stars Alia Bhatt, hit theatres on October 11 and has been a topic of heated discussion ever since.
Divya wasted no time in retaliating, posting a sharp response on her Instagram story: “When you are shamelessly accustomed to stealing what rightfully belongs to others, you will always seek shelter in silence. You will have no voice, no spine (sic).” Her statement clearly targeted Karan’s silence and the accusations against Jigra.
On October 12, Divya also took to Instagram to accuse Alia Bhatt of manipulating Jigra‘s box office numbers. “Went to Citi Mall PVR for Jigra show. Theatre was totally empty, all theaters going empty everywhere. #AliaBhatt really has #Jigra, buying her own tickets and announcing fake collections. Wonder why paid media is silent. #weshouldnotfooltheaudience #truthoverlies #HappyDussehra (sic),” she wrote, calling out the allegedly inflated box office figures.
The feud traces back to Divya’s claims that Jigra bears striking similarities to her film Savi, which was released in May. Savi, starring Harshvardhan Rane and Anil Kapoor, tells the story of a housewife trying to free her husband from a high-security prison in England, drawing inspiration from the mythological tale of Savitri and Satyavan. Meanwhile, Jigra follows Alia Bhatt’s character as she orchestrates a jailbreak to save her brother, with the two films seemingly sharing thematic elements.
Despite the allegations, Divya acknowledged that while both films have similarities, each follows its own unique path. The social media drama has left fans divided, with many closely watching how the situation will unfold as the accusations continue to stir discussions within the film industry.
