Bipasha Basu Once Faced Heat Over Alleged Child Labour In An Old Tweet, 'I'm Not Embarrassed At All'

In an era where the Internet was a luxury and social media wasn’t as unforgiving as it is today, it seems hard to believe that someone could land in a major controversy surrounding a simple social media post. Even in those simpler times, Bollywood actress, Bipasha Basu found herself in hot water over what she had originally intended to be a harmless joke. The actress received a lot of heat for a single photo posted on her Twitter account.

Bipasha Basu’s seemingly harmless tweet that landed her in controversy

It was back in 2011 when the Bollywood diva, Bipasha, shared a candid moment on her Twitter feed, posting a picture of two girls tying her shoelaces, but their faces were not visible. Posting the picture in jest, Bipasha accompanied it with a caption that read:

“I need to learn to tie shoe laces ASAP! Embarrassed that I can’t! No patience, grrrrr! Promise, I am not spoilt! Will learn soon.”

Online backlash and accusations

The tweet went viral in no time, but not in a way that the actress would have hoped. Many of her followers found an issue with her post and started accusing her of promoting or indulging in child labour, assuming that the girls in the photo were minors. It did not take long for Bipasha Basu’s tweet to become a hot topic of discussion on social media.

The tweeterati did not hold back in slamming the Raaz actress for allegedly promoting child labour. She was tagged as being ‘shameless’ and ‘disgraceful’, and users left brutal comments on her post, some even suggesting to get her arrested. Seeing the situation get out of hand, Bipasha deleted the tweet from her profile. However, to make her side known, the actress was quick to issue a clarification post. 

Bipasha Basu’s clarification post

Addressing the backlash, Bipasha Basu immediately clarified that the two girls in the photo were her friend and her sister and that she also helped them tie their shoes. Her tweet read:

“Well the ppl helping me in the pix r my friend n sister, Who I help often with the same! So am sorry if it hurt anyone’s sentiments!”

In another post that followed, Bipasha addressed the child labour allegations, clarifying that neither of the two girls in the photo were children. She wrote:

“A pic put 4 fun gets picked up by ppl as ‘child labor’ is absolutely unbelievable. Just so they all get it right: neither of the 2 r children! The pair of boots were a different pair, so my sis and friend were helping me. I thought it looked damn funny and took the pic as a joke.”

Bipasha Basu on the backlash

But the trolling didn’t end there. Critics were quick to highlight the contradictions in Bipasha’s statements. In one tweet, she admitted she didn’t know how to tie her shoelaces, which is why she needed help. But in a follow-up tweet, she claimed she often helps her sister and friend with their laces too, a clear inconsistency that raised eyebrows. Things got more awkward when, during a press conference in Delhi, she was asked about the controversy. Bipasha dismissed the matter, saying:

“I’ve said everything I had to, on Twitter. I don’t think it was child labour at all.”

And while Bipasha Basu refused to name the individuals in the photo during the press meet, she reportedly later identified them as her sisters, Bidisha Basu and Bijoyeta Basu, both of whom were adults at the time the photo was taken.

Where is Bipasha Basu now?

Bipasha Basu has maintained a relatively low profile in the film industry for quite some time. She was last seen in the thriller web series named Dangerous, opposite her husband, Karan Singh Grover. The series was a flop, securing 2.8 out of 10 in IMDb ratings. 

Well, even though Bips is not currently active in the industry, her Twitter drama repeatedly resurfaces in Bollywood's digital archives. What is your take on this controversy, which started with a harmless joke?

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