03 July,2026 05:37 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Divya Khossla and Alia Bhatt (Pictures via X)
A social media post claiming that actor-producer Divya Khossla Kumar took a swipe at Alia Bhatt and her upcoming film Alpha has gone viral, leaving many fans wondering whether the two actresses are embroiled in a fresh controversy. The post alleged that Divya mocked Alia by suggesting that the makers had bought tickets to fill empty theatres. However, the viral claim is misleading and lacks context.
The controversy stems from an old social media post shared by Divya during the release of Jigra in 2024. At the time, she had posted a photograph of an almost empty cinema hall after watching the film and questioned its box office numbers. In the post, she wrote, "The theatres were empty… Alia Bhatt really has a lot of Jigra. Khud hi tickets khareed diye aur fake collections announce kar diye." The remark quickly grabbed headlines and sparked widespread debate online.
That post resurfaced after the teaser of Alpha, starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, was unveiled recently. Several social media users falsely claimed that Divya had once again targeted Alia, with screenshots of the old post being circulated as if they were new. This led many to believe that she was commenting on Alpha and predicting empty theatres for the Yash Raj Films spy thriller.
In reality, Divya has not made any fresh statement about Alpha. The viral screenshot doing the rounds is from her earlier criticism of Jigra and has no connection to Alia's upcoming release. There is no evidence that she has reacted to the teaser or spoken about the film since the old controversy.
The original Jigra controversy had triggered a public exchange between the two camps. While Divya questioned the film's reported box office figures, Jigra producer Karan Johar appeared to respond through a cryptic social media post about integrity and truth, although he did not mention anyone by name. The debate eventually subsided, but the screenshots have continued to resurface whenever Alia's films make headlines.
Meanwhile, Alpha remains one of the most anticipated Bollywood releases of the year. Directed by Shiv Rawail, the film marks the first female-led instalment in Yash Raj Films' Spy Universe, with Alia Bhatt and Sharvari playing elite agents. The teaser has generated significant buzz among fans, who are eagerly awaiting its release.
As for the viral claim, it is a classic case of an old post being recirculated without context. Divya Khossla Kumar has not commented on Alpha, and the claim that she recently mocked the film over allegedly empty theatres is false.
