The trailer of Mastiii 4 has triggered massive backlash online. Viewers say that behind its so-called comedy lies an outdated and disrespectful portrayal of women. In the trailer, actors Vivek Oberoi, Riteish Deshmukh, and Aftab Shivdasani play men wishing for a “love visa,” a concept that many found cheap and offensive. The film’s tone and humour appear to reduce women to objects of pleasure, which has left audiences angry and disappointed.
Now, the film’s team seems to be using publicity tricks to fix its image. A video from the trailer launch event went viral, showing the male leads offering their front-row seats to their female co-stars. PR pages quickly shared the clip, praising the actors as “true gentlemen” and calling the gesture “chivalry at its best.” Fans, however, saw right through it.
Social media users slammed the move as a desperate PR stunt, saying that offering a seat is basic courtesy, not an act of heroism. They also questioned how actors who starred in a film mocking women could suddenly play the role of respectful gentlemen in front of cameras. One user wrote that pretending to be chivalrous after objectifying women on screen is hypocrisy at its finest.
The criticism didn’t stop there. Many viewers warned that such PR tactics only distract audiences from the real issue — the normalisation of disrespectful portrayals of women in mainstream comedy. They urged audiences to reject such films instead of falling for publicity stunts designed to sell tickets.
Until the industry starts treating women as equals on and off screen, fans say gestures like this will continue to look hollow and performative.
