Bollywood actress Dia Mirza, known for being a staunch advocate for environmental awareness and other special issues, recently got mercilessly trolled after a clip from Soha Ali Khan’s podcast went viral. It showed her sharing how her 5-year-old son Avyaan Azaad Rekhi strongly opposed the use of plastic straws and a bag by a coconut seller. According to Dia, he had sweetly scolded the man and said, “Plastic is not allowed in our home, take it back.” The comment, which was meant to highlight how environmentally conscious the child is, backfired after netizens called it “privileged.” Amid the backlash, actress Richa Chadha has come out in Dia’s support.
Richa Chadha defends Dia Mirza amid backlash
Richa defended in a detailed post and questioned why actors are often criticised for speaking up on issues. She said that public figures are frequently placed in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation, where they are either criticised for staying silent or for expressing their opinions. She also pointed out that constant online harassment and scrutiny can negatively affect mental health. She added that repeated trolling and public pressure can be deeply damaging.
Richa further mentioned that Dia is actively involved in environmental work, including her association with a bamboo paper company that promotes the use of alternatives to tree-cut paper and a plastic recycling startup that creates sustainable products like sunglasses. She also highlighted Dia’s involvement in producing a climate-focused short film that is set to be showcased at an event in Mumbai. “Check these things out, because if you can bully a 5 year old, you can also run a basic google search na,” wrote the Fukrey actress.
After urging people to look beyond assumptions and verify facts before engaging in criticism or trolling online, she added that Dia has also contributed to ecological restoration efforts, including gifting trees as part of personal initiatives that inspired similar actions.
Richa’s tweet
Richa concluded by stressing that people who work towards social or environmental causes often do so despite personal cost and public scrutiny, and said that instead of discouraging them, their efforts should be acknowledged more responsibly.
She was responding to a harsh tweet and her son for his actions against the use of plastic. She also sarcastically asked the person to start a blog so he could directly write such things about the actress.