Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt has been trending across social media platforms, leaving fans puzzled since she has no film releases lined up in the near future. The reason behind the buzz is a video she shot for the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Chandigarh, originally shared on August 14, which has now resurfaced and gone viral—forcing NCB to disable the comment section due to the backlash.

Alia Bhatt’s message for NCB

The thirty-second clip, posted by NCB with the caption “Alia Bhatt joins hands with NCB to spread the message of a #DrugsFreeBharat #NashaMuktBharat #azadifromdrugs”, features Alia urging viewers to say no to drugs and take an online pledge. “Drug addiction is a threat to life, society, and the nation,” she says, encouraging people to join the campaign by scanning a QR code or visiting a link.

Social media reacts

Soon after, the video attracted sharp reactions online. Several netizens reposted the clip with jibes at Alia, her husband Ranbir Kapoor, and other Bollywood stars. One user wrote, “She and her friends are druggies too ,” while another commented, “Haan chor ko chowkidari pe laga diya .” Others dug up the viral video from Karan Johar’s 2019 house party—where stars like Ranbir, Deepika Padukone, Vicky Kaushal and Varun Dhawan were accused of drug use—reviving the controversy.

The trolling continued with memes and sarcastic remarks like “They have first-hand experience ” and “Bol bhi kon raha hai.” An old Ranbir interview, where he admitted to using weed while preparing for Rockstar (2011), was also widely reshared.

Bollywood’s fraught history with NCB

The backlash comes against the backdrop of Bollywood’s long-running tryst with the NCB, especially since the 2020 probe that followed Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. Actors including Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan and Shraddha Kapoor were questioned, and in 2021, Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was arrested in a cruise drug bust—before being cleared of all charges in 2022.

What’s next for Alia

On the professional front, Alia will be seen next in YRF’s action thriller Alpha, followed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War opposite Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal.