Alia Bhatt, too young and politically innocent to connect the extravaganza to the human tragedy, was bailed out of the controversy by her father. Mahesh Bhatt issued a public regret over his daughter's faux pas.
Bhatt Saab also proclaimed he had failed as a father.
When I volunteered he was being too harsh on himself and his daughter Mahesh Bhatt replied, "I claim to be very socio-politically conscious. I should have stopped her."
I point out that it is not possible for him to be aware of Alia's schedules and travel plans. But Bhatt Saab refuses to exonerate himself. "She told me where she was going. But it did not cross my mind that she is going to a state where a tragedy is still unresolved. But I must admit the moral responsibility was of the Chief Minister to anticipate the backlash."
Bewildered by the backlash to his presence at the Saifai Mahotsav, comic actor Sunil Grover says, "I never dreamt there would be so much criticism. While agreeing to appear on stage, the other factors did not cross my mind at all. Hum toh artiste hain...jahaan bulayen hum chalen jaayen, Lekin humein sochna chahiye tha."