It happened at the trailer launch of Shaandaar and then happened again, and this time, the media mockery was annoyingly blatant.
Whenever Shahid Kapoor is asked by reporters about his marriage, Alia Bhatt, who has been omnipresent in the Shaandaar press tour, jumps to shut everyone up as his unofficial spokesperson.
She sounds more like a defence lawyer (petrified what may come from Shahid's unreliable mouth?) than a co-star. To pre-empt that, Alia grabs the mic before any journalist can even utter Shahid and wedding in the same breath. Shahid lauds her saying, "That's girl power."
At today's event which was about "cutting the distance and coming closer", Shahid and Alia ironically chose to distance themselves from matters of the heart.
Alia sounded like she was reading out from the same dog-eared script we're tired of.
First, there were publicists who would warn journalists from asking questions and now stars themselves watch each other's backs. "No questions on Shahid's marriage," she loudly declared with the intensity of a school headmaster who's just been caught fibbing mark-sheets.
Things went pathetically wrong when at one point, the actress said that the mic be taken away from a journalist who was asking him a question based on a news report that said that Shahid prepared for his wedding from his experience on shooting a wedding film. And no, the journo wasn't told to ask some "serious" questions, instead he was asked to ask about "Alia's shoe size etc."
That's not all. The emcee even stated that the reporter in question was "abusing privileges" by asking questions about Shahid's marriage. Can someone justify that allegation, please?
Not once has the topic of exes or anything remotely controversial been brought up at any event where Shahid has been present in the recent past. Isn't that a sign of respecting one's privacy?
In every two minutes, Alia would bring the conversation back to Shaandaar. At one point, she even animatedly started chanting, "Shaandaar... Shaandaar...Shaandaar" without any reason. It was agonizing, insulting and traumatic.
Now, dear Alia, what damage can a few words from Shahid on his recent marriage probably do to a movie that, incidentally, revolves around a wedding? Or do you think that the mere mention of anybody outside the orbit of the film (and mind you, here we're not talking about 'anybody' but a consequential person in Shahid's life) may ruin its shot at the box-office?
Is it very unusual for the press to ask celebrities personal questions?
If anything, Shahid's staunch silence on Mira has been mystifying. The actor posed with his bride at the wedding for the shutterbugs, he even formally introduced Mrs. Shahid Kapoor on Twitter minutes after tying the knot. So why can't he utter a few words about his better half now?
Broach the subject and Alia has a prompt response. "Please ask us about work, it's irritating when you all ask more about personal life than work. I'm protective about Shahid." And what exactly is she protecting Shahid from?
From our harmless question about how married life is treating Shahid. Oh, how insensitive of us! We've mocked a sacred institution by talking about it in front of a star. Or maybe according to Alia's brain, a married hero isn't great for the film's commercial aspects.
Not done. Not acceptable. Not a 'shaandaar' experience.