Bengali Actor Subhashree Slammed For Sharing Pics With Lionel Messi, Husband Raj Chakrabarty Reacts

Messi’s visit to Kolkata on Saturday was meant to be a celebration for football fans, but the event at Salt Lake Stadium quickly turned chaotic. Spectators, frustrated by their inability to catch a glimpse of the superstar, resorted to throwing bottles and chairs, creating tense scenes across the venue. Amid the confusion, Bengali actor Subhashree Ganguly shared pictures of herself with Lionel Messi on social media, sparking immediate backlash.

On Sunday, Subhashree posted several images from the G.O.A.T India Tour, including two with Messi, captioning them: “Represented the Bengali Film Fraternity at The G.O.A.T India Tour @leomessi.” Many reacted angrily online, calling the posts “tasteless” and accusing her of being insensitive to fans who

missed seeing the football legend. Political leaders also joined in the criticism, suggesting the posts disregarded the disappointment of ticket-holding spectators.

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A post shared by Raj Chakrabarty 🇮🇳 (@rajchoco)

Subhashree’s husband, filmmaker and TMC MLA Raj Chakraborty, defended her strongly on social media. “Thousands of people who bought tickets at a high price were deprived of seeing their hero. Her ‘crime’ was posting a photograph with Messi. Does being an actress disqualify her from being a Messi fan?” he wrote. Raj also criticised media coverage, pointing out that public figures, especially women, often face disproportionate scrutiny. “How a person, especially a woman, is treated leaves a lasting imprint. There is a vast difference between protest and humiliation,” he added.

The Kolkata event itself descended into disorder as fans in the galleries struggled to see Messi due to obstructions on the ground. In response to the chaos, the prime organiser was arrested for alleged mismanagement, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered a high-level inquiry while apologising to disappointed fans.