The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and actor Alia Bhatt recently teamed up for an anti-drug awareness campaign and the video showed Alia urging people to take a pledge against drug abuse. On paper, the idea seemed strong and impactful. But instead of earning praise, the video received heavy criticism online. Within hours of its release, the NCB had to disable comments after just six responses. Despite the attempt to silence the backlash, the clip had already been reposted nearly 690 times and crossed 1.1 million views and the response exposed the risks of using Bollywood celebrities as the face of social causes, especially when the industry itself has faced multiple drug-related controversies.
Alia Bhatt joins hands with NCB to spread the message of a #DrugsFreeBharat #NashaMuktBharat #azadifromdrugs pic.twitter.com/blY2Jnxifq
— Narcotics Control Bureau Chandigarh (@ncbchandigarh) August 14, 2025
Alia Bhatt Trolled Over Bollywood’s Drug Past
The harsh reaction largely came from the industry’s past association with drugs. Many users mocked Alia Bhatt and told her to “start from home,” pointing fingers at Bollywood’s credibility on the issue. Critics dug up the infamous video from four years ago that featured Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, and others at a party that sparked speculation about drug use. The online sentiment suggested that Alia Bhatt had no standing to preach against drug abuse when her own industry had been under the scanner for years.
Alia Bhatt Supports NCB To Spread Awareness About Drug Addiction
Meanwhile her friends 🤣👇 https://t.co/scAZgPs4oG pic.twitter.com/UZczExhE00
— Tushar ॐ♫₹ (@Tushar_KN) August 15, 2025
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Credibility Crisis for Celebrities on Social Causes
The backlash highlighted the credibility crisis celebrities face when they speak on sensitive issues and the fans often expect stars to live flawless lives before taking public stands but in reality, this expectation is unfair and unrealistic. Still, the internet showed no mercy. Tweets were brutal, with many reposts mocking the idea of pledges. One user wrote, “Why do they keep making us take pledges? When has a pledge ever worked? If someone offers me drugs, I am not going to be like, but I promised Alia Bhatt.” Such comments showed the wide gap between intent and reception.
Like why do they keep making us taking pledges? When has a pledge ever worked? If someone offers me drugs, I am not going to be like but I promised Alia Bhatt https://t.co/sAoP5BHtwU
— Ides of April (@idesofavril) August 14, 2025
Why the Video Backfired More Than Usual
Bollywood stars have often faced criticism for campaigns that do not align with their personal image. Yet this backlash seemed harsher than before. Even though Alia once starred in Udta Punjab, a film that highlighted the devastating drug problem in Punjab, the online audience dismissed her effort. The larger reaction showed how little impact star-driven campaigns can have when credibility is in question.
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The Larger Lesson
The NCB’s video with Alia Bhatt was supposed to spread awareness. Instead, it has turned into an example of how poorly such campaigns land when the messenger lacks public trust. The hate Alia received shows the difficulty celebrities face in influencing social change while carrying the baggage of their industry and for many, the message got lost in the noise of past controversies, leaving the campaign far less effective than intended.
