Tere Ishk Mein had a successful run at the box office and is now streaming on Netflix following its OTT release. While the film’s storyline has sparked mixed reactions, there’s another aspect of the Kriti
Sanon and Dhanush starrer that has unexpectedly grabbed attention.
A particular scene from the film has triggered backlash and, surprisingly, much of the criticism has come from senior students, scholars and academicians, who have openly voiced their concerns.
What’s The Backlash About?
The scene that has taken over social media shows Kriti Sanon’s character, Mukti Beniwal, a psychology research scholar at Delhi University, confidently presenting her thesis before a panel of academicians. What truly raised eyebrows, however, was her claim of submitting a 2,200-page thesis, a number that left real-life PhD scholars stunned.
Soon after the clip went viral, scholars across X and Instagram were quick to call out the exaggeration, expressing sheer disbelief. The reactions weren’t limited to India either, as academicians from around the world joined the conversation, questioning the film’s portrayal of academic research.
Online Reactions Pour In
Leave the internet aside – I wonder how Kriti Sanon's mother, Dr. Geeta Sanon is reacting to this.
She holds PhD in Physics, and yet Kriti didn't find it necessary to consult her.
Lol kabhi kabhi maa baap ko involve kar lena chahiye. Kaafi beizzati avoid ho sakti hai. pic.twitter.com/rIH6Sjj9Um
— Vichitr Praani (@missghaasphoos) January 29, 2026
Posting a screengrab from the now-viral scene, a user on X wrote, “Leave the internet aside, I wonder what Kriti Sanon’s mother, Dr. Geeta Sanon is reacting to this. She holds a PHD in Physics, and yet Kriti didn’t find it necessary to consult her. Lol kabhi-kabhi maa-baap involve kar lene chahiye, kaafi beizzati avoid ho sakti hai!”
You're are proud of your 350- page thesis and then kriti sanon enters with 2200 pages.
She unlocked PhD Pro Max. pic.twitter.com/cTWRsuXRAI— shikha katiyar (@shikhak63043927) January 27, 2026
Another one wrote sarcastically, “You’re proud of your 350-page thesis and then Kriti Sanon enters with 2,200 pages. She unlocked PHD Pro Max.
This is an issue but my personal beef with this movie was the wildly inaccurate PhD student representation, like what do you mean Kriti's char writes a 2200 page thesis and conducts wildly unscientific human research with no ethical clearance process 🤨 https://t.co/yGdtSBJFCT
— Melanie Easton (@MelanieJEaston) November 30, 2025
After a user flagged the film as toxic, another chimed in, agreeing with the criticism and also calling out the unrealistic thesis, writing, “This is an issue but my personal beef with this movie was the wildly inaccurate PHD student representation, like what do you mean Kriti’s character writes a 2,200 page thesis and conducts wildly unscientific human research with no ethical clearance process.”
Its hard to write merely 100 pages for thesis yet this women wrote 2200 pages?
2200 pages Thesis? Is it a thesis or book?😒
need justice as a PhD scholar! https://t.co/OzGursjoSE— ப்ரீத்தி🍃 (@songintherain) January 25, 2026
Someone wrote, “It’s hard to write merely 100 pages for a thesis yet this woman wrote 2,200 pages? 2,200 pages thesis? Is it a thesis or a book? Need justice as a PHD scholar.”
It’s ironic that Tere Ishk Mein is being called out less for its plot and more for an exaggerated academic detail, but in the internet era, even the smallest inaccuracies rarely slip by, right?
