16 July,2026 05:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Kiara Advani and Yash. Pic via X
British actor Benedict Garrett, who stars in Geetu Mohandas' upcoming film Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, has come out in support of Kiara Advani after the actress faced online criticism over her romantic scenes with Yash in the recently released song Tabaahi.
Taking to Instagram, Benedict shared a video calling out the double standards in the way audiences reacted to the song. While Yash received praise for his performance and screen presence, Kiara found herself at the receiving end of comments questioning her marriage and motherhood.
"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, 'She only just got married,' 'She's a mother,' or that she's on a honeymoon instead of with Sidharth Malhotra. Seriously?" he said.
In the caption accompanying the video, Benedict questioned why Kiara was being criticised for doing the very same job that earned Yash praise. "Why is Kiara Advani being attacked for doing her job, while Yash is being praised for doing exactly the same thing?" he wrote.
Benedict Garrett went on to point out that Yash is also married and a father, yet no one questioned his participation in the romantic track.
"Yash is also married. He also has children. So why is only the woman getting the abuse while the man gets the applause?" he asked.
The actor stressed that performers are expected to portray different emotions and relationships on screen as part of their profession. "They are actors. Their job is to act, to portray characters, to make you believe they're in love even when they're not. Their job is to tell stories that reflect the human experience," he said.
He also argued that actors and their spouses understand the nature of the profession, which can involve romance, intimacy, kissing and simulated love scenes.
"They're not criticising her for her acting. They're criticising her for being somebody's wife and somebody's mother, as though marriage means an actress should stop acting. That is ridiculous. The problem isn't her professionalism, it's the double standards and hypocrisy of the people attacking her," Benedict added.
His remarks come amid the online debate surrounding Tabaahi, the latest song from Toxic, which sparked mixed reactions over the chemistry between Kiara and Yash. Directed by Geetu Mohandas, Toxic also stars Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth, and is scheduled to release in theatres on August 26.
