Mumbai, April 8 Singer Sona Mohapatra has expressed her support for actress Alia Bhatt after she was criticised for her hosting skills during a recently held award ceremony.
In her first attempt at hosting, Alia was seen sharing the stage with comedian Zakir Khan and actor-comedian Sunil Grover.
Commenting on Alia's performance as a host, users criticised her, calling it "overacting", "high-pitched", and "nervous". Some also noted that a few of the jokes did not resonate with the audience.
On Wednesday, Sona shed light on how difficult it is to perform live on stage like this.
She was heard saying in her Instagram post, "I'm commenting on the Alia Bhatt monologue at the Screen Awards, which has been all over the place and being criticised. First of all, guys, it was a live performance. Live means no retakes, no editing, no filters, no second thoughts. And honestly, doing such authentic work in Bollywood is a big achievement. Most desi actors wouldn't even pick up the microphone. She took a risk and that itself is amazing."
"It's brave. Secondly, let's talk about the audience. A performance isn't just on stage when it's live. The audience and the room in front of you also need to perform. It's their responsibility. And the Bollywood audience, they are very demanding. I know I've performed in these rooms many times, and I can give you an example: the Mijwan fashion show. Shabana Azmi does it to raise funds for the Mijwan weavers. And it's full of stars, designer outfits, and flashbulbs. Even when they're there for a good cause, they're like they're under pressure. Their mindset would be, 'My outfit is better than hers', 'Which important actor or director can I impress?' And oh my God, it's a tough audience," Sona continued.
Addressing Alia's comparison with Zakir, the singer shared, "He's a master of stand-up comedy. Try getting him to act or dance like Alia, and you'll see. Or, importantly, he was performing for a Bollywood audience, not their direct competitors. So they would have been more supportive of him."
Expressing her faith in the 'Jigra' actress, Sona concluded, "Next time, I think Alia will do even better. Or Bollywood, learn to appreciate a good performance. It won't hurt anyone."