There’s no contest that Gully Boy was a well-made film that deserved most of the awards that came its way. But did Alia Bhatt really deserve to win the award for Best Lead Actor, when she had but a supporting role in the film?

Alia Bhatt is a brilliant actor, who has consistently improved upon her craft and delivered some of the most amazing performances over the last decade. And she delivered a solid performance as Safeena in Gully Boy as well. 

But Gully Boy was, without a doubt, Murad’s (Ranveer Sing) story. It was about his passion, his art, and his struggle to rise to the top. And great as she was, Alia Bhatt had minimal screen presence – equivalent, or perhaps even lesser, than Siddhant Chaturvedi’s (who played MC Sher). 

Coincidentally, Siddhant did win the award for Best Supporting Actor. And perhaps, that’s the category that Alia should have competed in. 

Awarding Alia Bhatt Best Leading Actor for a supporting role is a disservice to both, the actor’s talent and the award’s authenticity. Furthermore, awarding Best Leading Actor to Alia also robs other actors of a deserving win. 

Because the past year did see a series of noteworthy performances by actors like Kangana Ranaut (Judgementall Hai Kya), Sanya Malhotra (Photograph), Priyanka Chopra (The Sky Is Pink), or Taapsee Pannu (Saand Ki Aankh). 

It is important for awards to actually recognize talent and Alia’s Best Leading Actor does not seem to have done that.