A year after the release of Savi actress Divya Khossla Kumar accused Alia Bhatt of copying her film, especially after Vasan Bala’s Jigra released months later, claiming both films shared similar storylines of protagonist risking everything to bring their trapped family member back and even accusing Alia of faking box-office numbers by posting pictures of empty theatres. Now, responding to all the claims, producer Mukesh Bhatt who produced Savi under Vishesh Entertainment and is also Alia Bhatt’s uncle, has given a blunt reaction.
Why Mukesh Bhatt Believes the Comparison of Jigra & Savi Makes No Sense
During the exclusive interview with Lehren, Mukesh Bhatt suggested that Divya may have created controversy simply because Alia is a massive star which could bring her extra attention. He said he had not seen Jigra but believes its inspiration traces back to his brother Mahesh Bhatt’s directorial 1993 film Gumrah, which itself drew from the Hollywood title Bangkok Hilton. Further he clarified that for Savi, he bought rights to The Next Three Days and then adapted the lead character for Divya by flipping the gender.
He also explained that sometimes films with similar themes release around the same time, recalling how Arth (1982), Silsila (1981), and Yeh Nazdeekiyan (1982) all explored marital relationships despite being made independently.
Strong Defence of Alia Bhatt
Mukesh Bhatt defended Alia in clear and firm words. He said: “Alia Bhatt is a big star, and if you raise something like this against a bigger star, you can create some controversy… She can’t even dream of doing something so low… Alia is too big for this. Usko yeh chichori harkat karne ki zarurat nahi hai.”
He added that Divya’s claim was simply a “publicity stunt,” saying, “To get some attention in the media, you can create some controversy… Everyone needs some publicity.”
Mukesh Bhatt firmly stood by his statements, stressing that Alia Bhatt has no reason to copy anyone and that similarities in cinema can sometimes be natural. At the same time, he acknowledged that publicity often fuels such controversies, making it harder to separate facts from noise.
