Kiara Advani has opened up about the online backlash she faced over her intimate scenes with Yash in Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups. During her appearance on Koffee With Karan Season 9 alongside husband Sidharth Malhotra, the actress revealed that he was never bothered by the controversy and did not even bring up the subject with her.
The discussion came after several social media users questioned Kiara's decision to perform intimate scenes despite being married and a mother. The criticism also drew attention to her personal life, with some people speculating about how Sidharth would react to her on-screen scenes with Yash.
Speaking to host Karan Johar, Kiara made it clear that the controversy had never become an issue between the couple. Her response also brought attention to the larger conversation around the different standards applied to married male and female actors in the film industry.
Kiara Advani Says Sidharth Malhotra Never Questioned Her Scenes
When the conversation turned to Sidharth's reaction, Kiara said her husband had not cared about the online criticism. She explained that he had never raised the subject or questioned her about the scenes. "He had not cared about it. He has never brought it up. We have never spoken about it. It did not affect him; he was not bothered," Kiara said.
Her statement addressed the speculation that had circulated online about the couple's personal equation following the release of the film's intimate sequences. Rather than treating the criticism as a matter of discussion in their marriage, Sidharth remained unaffected by it.
Karan Johar Points Out Gender Bias in the Backlash
During the conversation, Karan Johar highlighted the gender bias behind the criticism. He pointed out that married male actors are rarely questioned in the same way when they perform intimate scenes on screen, while women often face scrutiny over their choices after marriage. Kiara's experience became part of a wider discussion about how actresses are judged for their professional decisions based on their marital status and motherhood.
The criticism surrounding her scenes with Yash was not limited to her performance, as online comments also brought her family life into the conversation. The discussion highlighted how the same expectations are not always applied equally to male and female performers in the entertainment industry.
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Kiara Says Actresses Have Faced Such Scrutiny for Decades
Kiara also pointed out that this kind of judgement is not new for women working in films. She said actresses have faced similar reactions for decades and referred to Aishwarya Rai and several other performers who have experienced such scrutiny.
"It has been happening now for donkey years, for decades. From Aishwarya to so many wonderful actors," she said. Her comment placed the controversy in a longer history of public judgement directed at actresses for their on-screen choices. She also made it clear that she did not feel the need to defend herself publicly when the criticism began.
Kiara Advani Did Not Feel the Need to Justify Her Choices
Reflecting on the online reaction, Kiara said she noticed that many people were already calling out the hypocrisy behind the criticism. This response made her feel that she did not need to issue a separate explanation or justify her professional choices. She said there was a massive reaction from people who had recognised the double standards, which is why she chose not to engage in defending herself.
The conversation on Koffee With Karan gave Kiara an opportunity to address the controversy directly while also highlighting the unequal scrutiny faced by actresses. Sidharth's reaction, as she described it, remained simple: he was not bothered, and the issue never became a conversation between them.
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