Influencer Sarah Sarosh has received intense backlash after posting a ‘Get Ready With Me’ (GRWM) video on Instagram, where she addressed the horrific Kolkata doctor rape-murder case through a voiceover in a manner that was deemed disrespectful by audiences.
The one minute and four-second clip quickly went viral, showcasing Sarosh cavalierly discussing the sensitive issue while applying makeup, using face-creams and smiling.
How did the Internet react?
Sarosh faced widespread backlash for trivializing such a heinous crime by her video, with many criticizing the video as “insensitive”, attention-seeking and tone-deaf.
Her critics include Bollywood actress Risha Chadha and popular television actress Kavita Kaushik, who have slammed the influencer for her disrespect in the face of such a tragedy.
“Looks like there’s no limit to how low they can go for likes. Nothing is off-limits. No basic human decency is required,” a used wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“This is how so-called influencers talk about such a heinous crime. Adding a voiceover about a gut-wrenching incident to a GRWM video—so insensitive and so dumb. Why are people even following them?” another user added.
Influencer addresses the backlash:
Soon after the mounting backlash, Sarosh deleted the video approximately five minutes after posting it. She issued an apology, accepting that she had made a mistake and expressing her regret for sharing the video. She also promised to be more mindful in the future.
“A lot of people told me to ride the wave, not say anything people will forget. But I don’t want you to forget. I want you to remember that I made a grave mistake and I’m extremely SORRY,” she wrote.
Sarosh also revealed that she had been getting rape threats since her post went viral, which is unforgivable regardless of how one feels about the GRWM video.
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However, Sarosh’s apology was not received well by most of the internet audience,
“I’m so proud of the women in the comment section for not falling for a post that was written by her manager or the agency managing her. She is not sorry, and trust me, she is not sorry. This was just another piece of content for her to gain views and money! Shame on such influencers!” a user wrote.
“See again, you’re not truly apologetic. You’re more worried about YOUR channel, YOUR views, YOUR reputation, YOUR everything. If you do something wrong people will come at you. Your apology will not fix anything but you just had to come and say sorry instead of saying so many reporting channels, so many people are talking about me,” another added.
The brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old PG resident doctor in Kolkata, with her body found earlier this month in the seminar room of a state-run hospital where she worked, has sent shock waves across India. Protests have erupted in several cities, demanding justice for the heinous crime, in many places led by women themselves. There has also been an increasing pressure on the government to address the horrific tragedy by punishing those responsible and ensuring the safety of women across the country.
