Bengali actor Subhashree Ganguly trolled for sharing photos with Lionel Messi; husband Raj Chakrabarty steps in to defend her

On Sunday, Subhashree Ganguly posted a series of photos from a meet-and-greet session with Lionel Messi in Kolkata. She shared the photos with the caption, “Represented the Bengali Film Fraternity at The G.O.A.T India Tour @leomessi.”

Many reacted to the post, calling it “tasteless” and accusing her of being insensitive to fans who were unable to see the football legend. Political leaders also criticised the post, suggesting it added fuel to the disappointment of ticket-holding spectators.

See Bengali actor Subhashree Ganguly’s photos with Lionel Messi:

 

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A post shared by Subhashree Ganguly (@subhashreeganguly_real)

Following the backlash, Subhashree Ganguly’s husband TMC MLA Raj Chakraborty came forward to defend her. A part of his post on Instagram read, “Let me say this at the outset: The chaos at Yuva Bharati Krirangan yesterday was completely uncalled for and truly painful. It was an insult to football and to football-loving Bengalis. The city has witnessed such chaos earlier during East Bengal Mohun Bagan matches. Despite being aware of similar past incidents, how did such a major lapse in planning and structural preparedness occur for an event of this scale? Were the organisers unaware of Messi’s popularity? I sincerely hope those responsible are held accountable. What happened yesterday caused deep emotional pain to Bengalis.”

Raj added, “Among the invitees at yesterday’s event was Shubhashree Ganguly, representing the Bengali film industry. Unfortunately, amid this chaos, she is now being made to pay the price for simply being present. Her “crime” was posting a photograph with Messi on social media. Thousands of people who bought tickets at a high price were deprived of seeing their hero even once. Obviously, they felt cheated and disappointed, and their anger is understandable.However, to certain political leaders who are making comments without being present before or after the incident, asking “Why did a film actress need to be there?” I would like to ask: how well do you really know Shubhashree Ganguly? Does being an actress disqualify her from being a Messi fan?”

He concluded, “A person carries multiple identities shaped by gender, profession, and relationships. Similarly, Shubhashree is a mother, sometimes a sister, sometimes a wife, sometimes an actress, sometimes a friend, and sometimes simply a fan. Above all, she is a human being. Yet, crossing all boundaries of basic humanity, political leaders and a section of the media are targeting actress Shubhashree Ganguly by creating memes, trolling her, and building an alternate narrative.”

 

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A post shared by Raj Chakrabarty 🇮🇳 (@rajchoco)

In response to the Salt Lake Stadium incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered a high-level inquiry while apologising to disappointed fans.