Mumbai: Filmmaker-producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra recently launched a scathing attack on social media influencers, thereby sparking a heated debate online.

During a masterclass session at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, the filmmaker expressed his views about the growing dependency on social media influencers.

Taking a sharp dig at the surge of social media celebrities, he said, “Kya word use kar sakta hun… Ch****a hain… Woh net pe jaake aisa khada hota hai.. 5 million hogaya. Waise khada hota hai 10 million hogaya, 20 million ho gaya (Which word can I use? These are a*******. They go online, and stand in a certain way. Someone has 5 million followers, someone has 10 million, another has 20 million).”

The filmmaker added, “Usko lagta hai ke man baap hun and brands go to that fellow and aya baap humara product bechdo… Woh phir khada ho jaata hai .. what the f**k is going on? (The social media influencer thinks that he is a legend. And then brands go to that fellow and say, ‘Please sell our product’. The influencer stands again and says, ‘Hey, buy this tiffin. Buy whatever). You as an individual have to choose whether you want to be that or you want to really strive for happiness and joy.”

The filmmaker’s comments left the internet divided. While some praised him for his take on social media fame, several social media influencers slammed him for dismissing their hard work.

Reacting to the filmmaker’s comments, actor Aahana Kumra shared “clapping emojis”.

One mentioned, “I’m glad he said this loud and clear.”

Influencer Shray Rai Tiwari hit back, “Kya word hai sir (what a word). So much elegance. So profound. Truly remarkable. You are so damn right, they are not happy. You seem so happy. More power to you and your nuanced language.”

Another influencer Simarjeet Singh Nagra wrote, “And The Director / Casting Directors Who Are Choosing These Type of Influencers … Woh kya hae? (Who are they?)”

Content creator Kasturi Rout commented, “Sir ji yeh chiz jake casting directors ko samjhaye maze lene keliye commenting is good. Sunne mein kitna acha lagraha hai , I wish reality bhi wesi hoti (Sir, explain this thing to casting directors, commenting just for fun is good. It sounds nice, but I wish reality was the same too).”

Aashish Bisht shared, “Everyone tries to spread as much happiness as their strength and resources allow for themselves, their families, and the people around them. But when they finally rise, people judge their background and mock them instead of celebrating them. Why can’t we be happy that someone from a small home became something big? Happiness belongs to everyone, not just a few. And honestly, the way some people speak shows they haven’t found real happiness within.”

Divyanshu Agrawal wrote, “Would rather prefer taking inspiration from a self made creator doing legit valuable brand collabs for his/her audience rather than actors promoting tobacco/gambling products and whitewashing audience with their paid PR.”

Shikhar Chaudhary shared, “Rather than getting frustrated start accepting this new world”, with Kapil Arora adding, “Aapke hi casting agents puchte hain how many followers you have on social media and for Real or fake followers. Engagement ka bhi screenshot mang lete hain (Your casting agents only ask about follower counts, and ask for a screenshot to see engagement.”

Earlier this year, Vidhu Vinod bagged the National Award for his film ‘12th Fail’, starring Vikrant Massey.