The Maldives has long been a cherished retreat for Indian celebrities and Bollywood luminaries seeking leisure and luxury amidst its captivating beach vistas. However, a recent controversy between Lakshadweep and the Maldives has ignited widespread outrage across social media platforms.
Several prominent TV actors voiced their solidarity for Lakshadweep amid the social media uproar, while Ashneer Grover from Shark Tank India added a touch of wit to the discourse. The digital sphere has been abuzz with divergent viewpoints, with netizens seemingly advocating a boycott of the Maldives, often using the trending hashtag #ChaloLakshadweep.
Bollywood actor Vir Das took to social media (formerly Twitter) and expressed, “Firstly, happy Lakshadweep is getting some love! Second, there’s an Indian celebrity/influencer somewhere in the Maldives right now who didn’t eat carbs for two weeks, shot the nicest holiday pics ever, and is TERRIFIED to post them :-)”
In response to Das’ tweet, Ashneer Grover remarked, “Thirdly, there is some movie star, previously inactive on Twitter, who is now copy-pasting the same message to visit Indian islands – without knowing where Lakshadweep is and in parallel hiding previous Maldives story on insta ;)”
While Grover refrained from naming the actor directly, his comments sparked considerable attention and speculation among social media users. Numerous comments flooded in, with many suggesting the individual being referred to, but Grover chose not to respond to these speculations.
In recent times, social media has become a battleground for contrasting opinions among Indians regarding the Maldives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s portrayal of Lakshadweep without mention of the Maldives triggered discussions. Tensions escalated as a couple of Maldivian government officials made acerbic remarks about India, resulting in a social media standoff between the two nations. Subsequently, several celebrities from the film and television industries emerged to display their allegiance to India amidst the escalating tensions.