By now, the world is aware of the fact that the Lionel Messi event hosted in Kolkata was an absolute fiasco. Not just the national media, but international media too, have been criticizing the mismanagement of the event that centered on a global phenomenon. The event, which was being hosted at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan stadium, aka Salt Lake stadium, was utter chaos, with fans throwing water bottles and chairs on the ground after not being able to see the football star, even after paying a hefty ticket price. Amidst the ongoing discontent amongst fans, Bengali actress Subhashree Ganguly shared pictures of her meet-up with Messi, and now she is facing a major backlash for it.
Subhashree took to her social media accounts to share pictures with the football legend. She captioned the post as "Represented the Bengali Film Fraternity at The G.O.A.T India Tour" and while she surely expected appreciation coming her way, all she received was major criticism.
Fans were severely irked by the fact that the actress got to meet Messi on the basis of popularity and political connections. For those unversed, Subhashree's husband is a Bengali film director who also happens to be an MLA from the ruling party, Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Fans expressed their disgust in the comment section of the post.
An Instagram user wrote, "Do you feel ashamed , I think you don't ?" while another wrote, "She is behaving like she's the desired celebrity and Messi is just a fan."
A netizen wrote, "This incident shows a complete failure of Kolkata's sports administration. There was no proper planning, no crowd management, and no coordination. Even the police seemed unprepared to control the situation. When such a big event is announced, it's the responsibility of the Sports Minister and the administration to ensure safety and order. Sadly, this mismanagement has embarrassed the city and disappointed genuine football fans" while another said, "Shame On You Lady Super Star."
There were also comments like "Such an illiterate girl standing just like a joker in front of him," "Plz boycott her movie," "Messi is only for celebrities?" and "Vip culture at it's peak."
Raj Chakraborty, Subhashree's husband, came to her defence and posted an explanation on social media.
He wrote, "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 further added, "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."
The Kolkata event, which is a part of Messi's grand India visit, is at the centre of controversy. The state's chief minister apologized to fans and has ordered a high-level inquiry.
