"Like really? It's 2026 and not 2000."
Bollywood actress Ameesha Patel has sparked a heated online debate by criticising the industry’s reliance on aggressive public relations.
The star expressed her frustration through a series of blunt posts on the social media platform X.
She targeted actors who manipulate their public image to appear more successful than their actual box office numbers suggest.
Patel argued that the title of superstar must be earned through commercial history rather than calculated media campaigns.
She said: “Call yourself a superstar only if you have achieved any sort of work that creates history and havoc at the box office.
“Until then, stop playing PR games to call yourself a superstar. Sorry, but that’s the harsh reality.”
The actress claimed that many contemporary figures are projecting themselves as top-tier icons without delivering significant solo hits.
She pointed out that appearing in average films twice a year does not qualify an individual as a star.
Instead, she believes such people are merely actors who happen to be part of a larger cinematic project.
Patel specifically highlighted the trend of female performers paying teams to rank them as number one or two.
“Most female actresses who haven’t even achieved one film in their career where even a single film of theirs has done even Rs 200 crore plus at the box office are paying their PR teams to call themselves number 1 and number 2?
“Like really? It’s 2026 and not 2000, today Rs 100 crore is nothing.”
According to her view, global status is achieved only when a performer delivers a massive worldwide hit.
She acknowledged that while being part of any international project feels good, it does not guarantee stardom.
The actress insisted that the public should stop supporting the false narratives created by expensive publicity.
Patel then drew attention to her own career achievements to contrast her position with that of her peers.
She listed three of her most successful projects as evidence of her historical impact on the Indian film industry.
These include her debut feature Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, along with the legendary Gadar and its recent sequel Gadar 2.
She said: “3 biggest solo blockbusters as a heroine with the highest footfalls in all 3 films I’ve given and till date they are the biggest hits of my co-stars as well ..
“But my FAKE PR machinery is weak unlike other actresses.”
The outspoken star believes that the harsh reality of the box office is being ignored in current rankings.
Ameesha Patel’s comments have divided fans, with some agreeing with her logic while others defend the modern marketing era.
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