Sara Trolled For ‘Racist’ Photoshoot; Magazine Releases BTS Video

Sara Ali Khan gets called out for ‘cultural appropriation’ in photoshoot for Filmfare’s March 2019 issue. 

(Photo: Canva/The Quint)

Sara Ali Khan was on the receiving end of massive trolling, after pictures from her debut magazine shoot - with Filmfare to be featured on the cover of its March 2019 issue - was released on the internet.

While it was known that Sara had shot for the magazine in Kenya, what people did not expect to see, was a seemingly photoshopped picture of an African man is his traditional wear, appearing to levitate at the background, while Sara stands posing in a crochet embroidered dress with green tassels in front.

In a seeming response to the criticism, a behind-the-scenes video was released. It shows a Maasai man performing the signature Maasai adamu or jumping dance - a traditional dance form of the indigenous tribe.

While it’s clear that he wasn’t, in fact, photoshopped - many are accusing the magazine of commodification of an indigenous culture.

Earlier, when the picture was shared on social media, Twitter exploded with posts trolling the actor, and the magazine, for instigating “cultural appropriation” by using “Africans as props” and also for poor photoshop skills - considering that in the picture, the African man at the back has no shadow falling on the ground.

A picture from Sara Ali Khan’s photoshoot with Filmfare.(Photo courtesy: Twitter)

‘What is the Point of Such Cultural Appropriation?’

‘Such a Bad Photoshop’

Sara has become Bollywood’s new ‘IT’ girl with her debut in Abhishek Kapoor’s Kedarnath and her energy in Rohit Shetty’s Simba opposite Ranveer Singh. Her candour and quirkiness has been a breath of fresh air for those typecasting talent from the industry as “lacklustre”.