Alia-Bhatt's-Anti-Drugs-Video-Sparks-Backlash,-NCB-Disables-Comments

Alia Bhatt’s Anti-Drugs Video with NCB Faces Backlash as Comments Get Disabled

A video that was supposed to empower people to avoid the dark side of addiction is now being trolled severely. The Narcotics Control Bureau shared the video with Alia last week on their Twitter handle. The video featured Alia encouraging people to depend on no drugs and support the agency and their efforts. The fair touch of harmlessness of the video was re-shared over 680 times, with 1.1 million views. 

The post wished to allow space for conversation or healthy debate, but instead, it lit the fires of hate and personal attack, forcing authorities to disable comments. This is an example of the toxic mix that celebrity, combined with public messaging and hateful social media, can create.

Anti-Drug Message: Lost in Backlash

The video shows Bhatt speaking about substance abuse directly to the camera and conveying a very important message. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Government of India, identified the Bollywood actor as a partner since it wanted to attract the youngsters in this campaign, forming part of the NCB's national awareness campaign for 2025. 

The NCB post subsequently had initial analytics that showed the video recorded impressive viewership, so the initial impression might have indicated excellent reach. However, metrics for engagement quickly indicated a different story. The comments could only be described as cynical observations and expressions of harsh dislike for the actor's issues, not the important anti-drug message.

The NCB's Fast Damage Control

With machine learning algorithms gauging and quickly reporting downward-trending engagements on social media platforms, the NCB social media team took the step to turn off comments on the cryptic post. A source from the NCB said this was a necessary action to try to protect the integrity of the campaign and not allow the actor's issues to overshadow or shift the campaign focus/drive it off course. This fits the category of damage control, as rolling back public engagement was feeling pretty extreme to cover up a worsening campaign.

In general, from a perspective of social media specialists and community managers, emphasis should be given to the positive side of community engagement; furthermore, the information disseminated, whether utilizing community announcements or whatever channels, must always be accurate and never misleading in any way, especially concerning community filtering options cancellation.

NCB Chandigarh posted on X ( Twitter) - Alia Bhatt joins with NCB to spread the message about drugs ( source: Hindustan Times)

Why Are Celebrity-Led Public Service Announcements Backlash in the Digital Age?

This is not the first time a celebrity-led public service announcement has sparked unexpected backlash. To analyze whether this particular incident raises issues around audience reception of celebrity-led communication in the digital age, we should consider how visibility can be a great tool, but also something that stimulates extreme responses from stakeholders that detract attention from the cause.

Reframing Social Media: From Reach to Impact

This result illustrates a major barrier in a government agency transitioning to a digital outreach strategy.  Account options on platforms like Instagram can now reach audiences like they’ve never been able to, but allow audiences to also engage freely, unrestricted, and harmlessly.  

This event may lead to a reevaluation of social media strategies for other public entities. The NCB's campaign with Alia Bhatt ultimately resulted in substantial exposure, mostly unrelated to the intended message. The decision by the agency to turn off comments points to the uncertainty and complications of digital public advocacy in today's context.