"Crime Was Posting Picture With Lionel Messi": Bengali Actress Subhashree Ganguly Trolled, Husband Defends

The Lionel Messi GOAT India Tour 2025 resulted in massive chaos at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday with the event featuring the legendary footballer lasting a little over 20 minutes. With more than 60,000 people present at the venue to catch a glimpse of Messi, major mismanagement and poor crowd control led to the footballer leaving the stadium early with only a few celebrities and fans managing to get a picture with the footballer. While the organisers faced the wrath of the people present at the stadium, Bengali actress Shubhasree Ganguly was also heavily trolled after she posted a picture with Messi on her social media accounts. While she faced criticism online, her husband - director Raj Chakrabarty - came to her defence.

"Let me say this at the outset: The chaos at Yuva Bharati Krirangan yesterday was completely uncalled for and truly painful. It was an insult to football and to football-loving Bengalis. The city has witnessed such chaos earlier during East Bengal Mohun Bagan matches. Despite being aware of similar past incidents, how did such a major lapse in planning and structural preparedness occur for an event of this scale? Were the organisers unaware of Messi's popularity?" he wrote on Facebook.

"Among the invitees at yesterday's event was Shubhashree Ganguly, representing the Bengali film industry. Unfortunately, amid this chaos, she is now being made to pay the price for simply being present. Her “crime” was posting a photograph with Messi on social media," he added.

"Those who are trolling must remember that how they treat a person, especially a woman, will leave a lasting imprint. The next generation will learn from this behaviour. There is a vast difference between protest and humiliation, and it is crucial to understand and explain that difference. The chaos that occurred yesterday, whatever unfolded inside the stadium, has absolutely no connection with Shubhashree. Like all of you, she had also gone there to see a footballing legend. She too is deeply hurt by what happened. Yesterday's disorder was an insult to Bengal — an insult to Bengalis," he concluded.

Topics mentioned in this article

Lionel Messi Football