Alia Bhatt, one of Bollywood’s stars, posted an Instagram story addressing influencers, bloggers, news platforms and YouTubers who, lately, claimed she had botox that went wrong, resulting in a crooked smile and a weird way of speaking.

In an Instagram story posted on October 25, Alia addressed the rumours and clickbait articles without naming publishers who claimed she has undergone ‘botched’ botox procedures, because of which half of her face is ‘paralysed’.

One such article that went viral was published by a major news platform: Hindustan Times
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“Absolutely no judgment towards anyone who chooses cosmetic corrections or surgery — your body, your choice. But wow, this is beyond ridiculous!” Alia Bhatt wrote.

“To the random video floating around literally claiming I’ve had botox gone wrong (and to the numerous clickbait articles) — I have a ‘crooked smile’ and a ‘weird way of speaking,’ according to YOU,” she added.

Calling out the platforms, the Highway actress also said, “This is your hypercritical, microscopic judgement of a human face. And now you’re confidently tossing around ‘scientific’ explanations, claiming I’m paralysed on one side? Are you kidding me?”

Bhatt expressed her frustration over the damaging nature of disinformation concerning her and the scrutiny which women encounter.

“These are serious claims being casually thrown out there with zero proof, no confirmation, and nothing to back it up. What’s worse, you’re influencing young, impressionable minds who might actually believe this garbage. Why are you saying this? For clickbait? Attention? Because none of it makes sense,” she voiced her concern.

Bhatt also asked people to take a minute to address the “absurd lens through which women are judged and objectified on the internet” because of their looks.

“Our faces, bodies, personal lives, even our bumps are up for critique”, she added, “We should be celebrating individuality, not tearing it apart under a microscope.”

“These types of judgements perpetuate unrealistic standards, making people feel like they’re never ‘enough’. It’s damaging, and it’s exhausting and the saddest part? A lot of this judgment comes from other women. Whatever happened to ‘live and let live’?” she pleaded.

Alia Bhatt, with her 85.6 Million followers on Instagram, has spoken about the issue at a time when a broader conversation on misinformation and disinformation on the internet is one of the major concerns, under which celebrities are also an easy target.

A number of celebrities have spoken about how this affects their mental health and self-image in this age of social media. Recently, Alia herself spoke about having ADHD and the impact of her sister suffering from depression.

Dawn Images shed light on the misconception regarding botox leading to paralysis. Botox treatments, which help reduce facial wrinkles, do not cause paralysis as the effects of this procedure generally wear off within three to four months as the treated facial muscles regain their function.

High doses and improper use, however, can trigger temporary issues such as drooping eyelids, asymmetry, or even difficulty swallowing.

In rare cases, the side effects may last several months, but they so reverse with time and care.