Fans of Lionel Messi expressed outrage on social media after Subhashree Ganguly was seen standing next to and taking pictures with the football star.
Angry fans had gone on a rampage at the Kolkata Salt Lake stadium on Saturday after they were denied the chance to glimpse the football icon, even after paying thousands in ticket prices.
On social media, a lot of the hate was targeted at politicians like Minister Aroop Biswas, security personnel, the organisers and influencers and photographers who crowded around Messi in Kolkata.
Fuel was added to the fire when Subhashree Ganguly posted photographs of her standing next to Messi. Many pointed out the privilege and questioned what she had to do with sports.
In one video online, a man says, “I came to see Messi after paying twelve thousand rupees for the ticket, but I got to see Subhashree’s dance instead.”
Who is Subhashree Ganguly?
Subhashree Gangukay is an actress who mainly works in the Bengali film industry. She is known for the films Mate ta Love Helare, Challenge and Paran jai Jaliya Re among many other. She is one of the highest paid actresses in Bengali cinema. She is married to Raj Chakrabarty, who is an actor, politician and a director in the Tollywood Industry. In 2021, he joined the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. They have two children.
On Saturday, Subhashree was at the stadium as a representative of the the Tollywood industry.
An angry Messi fan questioned the actress on the timing she chose to post the photographs. They asked whether she even watched football. Some accused her of having fun and privileges using public money.
Raj Chakrabarty took to Instagram to address the trolls attacking his wife on Sunday.
In a lengthy post, he questioned the criticism. “Certain political leaders who are making comments without being present before or after the incident, asking, “Why did a film actress need to be there?” I would like to ask: how well do you really know Shubhashree Ganguly? Does being an actress disqualify her from being a Messi fan?”
“A person carries multiple identities shaped by gender, profession, and relationships. Similarly, Shubhashree is a mother, sometimes a sister, sometimes a wife, sometimes an actress, sometimes a friend, and sometimes simply a fan. Above all, she is a human being. Yet, crossing all boundaries of basic humanity, political leaders and a section of the media are targeting actress Shubhashree Ganguly by creating memes, trolling her, and building an alternate narrative,” he added.
He also asked if the public would have the same reaction if it were a Bollywood actress who posed for the pictures. “Because she is a recognisable face, everything from her body to her identity as an MLA’s wife, and even her child and family, is being dragged into public criticism. Why? Because she is a woman? Because she is an actress from the Bengali industry? Had she been a well-known Bollywood personality, would the narrative have been the same?” he asked.
“Those who are trolling must remember that how they treat a person, especially a woman, will leave a lasting imprint. The next generation will learn from this behaviour. There is a vast difference between protest and humiliation, and it is crucial to understand and explain that difference.”
“Like all of you, she had also gone there to see a footballing legend. She, too, is deeply hurt by what happened,” Raj mentioned, acknowledging that the event was an insult to Bengal and all Bengalis. “Let discussions and criticism lead to solutions, not to a culture of trolling,” he added.
Subhashree has turned off the comments on her posts after the incident.
