After OTT Disaster Gandhari, Taapsee Blames Alia Bhatt?

Did the failure of Alia Bhatt’s Alpha end up affecting other female actors too? Taapsee Pannu seems to think so.

This comment comes after her recent thriller, Gandhari, got the worst reviews after its release on Netflix.

The actor has revealed that she lost a few projects after Alpha failed to work at the box office, claiming that the setback made investors more hesitant about putting money into female-led films, particularly big budget action entertainers.

According to Taapsee, this is where the industry’s double standards become difficult to ignore.

She questioned why the failure of one major female-led action film can suddenly make investors sceptical about backing women in the genre. After all, big budget films headlined by male stars also fail, and not every one of them boasts an impeccable script, layered characters or nuanced storytelling.

Taapsee pointed out that many male-driven spectacles work largely on star power, glamour and larger than life action. Yet, when such films fail, the industry does not necessarily start questioning whether men can lead big-budget action films.

Her argument raises an important question: Why does a female led film carry the burden of representing an entire category, while male stars are often given multiple chances despite box office failures? If one unsuccessful film can make investors pull back from women-led projects, the problem may be bigger than just one film’s box office result.