Newcomer actress Aneet Padda became a hot topic after appearing on the runway at Lakmé Fashion Week, which is a popular showcase for top fashion designers and celebrities. Her ramp appearance quickly became viral and was a basis for trolling, but not for the reasons she would have wanted.
The Ramp Walk That Caused Reactions
In a contemporary ethnic outfit, Aneet was showcasing a designer’s collection in a HIV/AIDs fashion charity competition. However, once videos of her ramp appearance were deleted and reposted on social media platforms, many users expressed their discontent regarding her body posture, facial expressions, and overall confidence level during her appearance on the ramp. Some social media users even stated that they had never seen anyone walk on a runway like she did before and that she lacked the grace to walk (fluid) like a model at a high-end fashion show.
On Social Media, The Trolls Have Taken Over
With videos of Aneet walking on the ramp going viral, trolling quickly escalated on social media platforms such as Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Comments ranged from ‘your dress was ugly’ to ‘I hope a car runs over you!’ to simply stating ‘please tell me how you were chosen to walk on the runway.’ Many users questioned the need for actors instead of professional models to walk in fashion shows and how this affects the overall presentation of designer collections.
As memes began circulating, trolls also increased their trolling of Aneet online, furthering their viral meme status. Many hashtags relating to Lakmé Fashion Week and Aneet also began trending due to the incident, causing the whole situation to become a highly discussed topic.
also read: Disha Patani’s Bold Look Steals the Show at Lakme Fashion Week
Support from Fans and Industry Voices
Beyond all the criticism, Aneet did, however, have people who supported her, with many fans as well as some people inside the industry defending her. Some pointed out that ramp walking is a specialised skill that can take even experienced ramp walkers time to develop and that this trend of having celebrities showcase new designers on the runway is a long-established way of getting attention for designers.
Many of her supporters also commented about the extreme nature of the negative online comments, and called upon others to be more positive in their criticism and not to troll.
The Bigger Picture: Celebrities vs. Models
This incident has sparked a long-term debate in the fashion industry about whether or not runway shows should give priority to trained models over celebrities. While having celebrities appear on a runway helps to create visibility for designers and provides greater exposure through the media, some feel that the use of celebrities sometimes takes away from the technical quality of the fashion show.
Fashion experts feel that although actors bring star quality to the runway, there is very little similarity between runway modelling and acting, because runway modelling requires specific training to develop the various aspects of impact on the way runway i.e. walk/stance/expression, and therefore most professionals will have spent a long time developing those technical skills.
No Official Response Yet
Currently, Aneet Padda has yet to publicly address her trolling. Regardless of whether she responds, the incident demonstrates how much scrutiny public figures come under in the era of viral media.
Conclusion
What started as a regular engagement at Lakmé Fashion Week turned into an online controversy. Although receiving feedback is part and parcel of being in the public eye, this incident raises the question of how close one can be to crossing the line between feedback and trolling and whether any different expectations should be placed on celebrities entering into a very specific area, such as runway modeling.
