Alia Bhatt’s Cringe Hosting at an Award Show Sparks Global Trolls

During the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 at Mumbai, actress Alia Bhatt was subjected to online criticism after her performance at the event as a host together with Zakir Khan and Sunil Grover. The videos of the event provoked negative comments on the comic timing, stage performance, and awkward moments that swiftly circulated on the social media.

During the Screen Awards, she handled the situation by being humorous when speaking to Zakir Khan. He mentioned a film Gunda when she replied that she brought up her Gone Girl point earlier.

The online audience referred to the interaction as an experiment in self-awareness, though seemingly not a few felt that the delivery was not brought out naturalistically.

The live show received a lot of barter with the audience because of the response. A few viral videos displayed a reduced reaction and slowness in laugh after punchlines.

Although she played alongside similar veterans as Zakir Khan or Sunil Grover, the audience rated her performance poorly as compared to established stage presenters in Bollywood industry. During live hosting, issues raised by social media of timing, delivery, and spontaneity were brought up.

The other sect that became popular was a sly commentary made by Zakir Khan mentioning the humor group (AIB).

He cited that there has been a history of Alia Bhatt associating with the group in promotional segments in the past. The video was an embarrassing moment as it made noticeable discomfort on stage and rushed to virality as one of the most repeated moments of the night.

Signs of nervousness in the delivery of Alia Bhatt were also identified by online viewers. Some users mentioned that it is based on written lines and teleprompter time on in-between parts.

The argument of critics was that hostage live award shows needs improvisation and timing whereas the outcome that was achieved is due to script limitations and format constraints as suggested by the supporters.