Indians and public figures have slammed photos of Bollywood stars shamelessly sharing idyllic tropical retreats after fleeing India's worsening covid crisis.
As India grapples daily with record infections, hospital essential supplies have run out, bodies pile up in crematoriums and many of the country's wealthy and celebrities have fled. Many have travelled to the Maldives, which is becoming a popular holiday destination for those who own private jets or pay sky-high commercial tickets to leave India. While the Maldives, a "tropical island nation," has tightened entry conditions for Indian travelers, it has not completely closed its borders.
Bollywood star Lambir Kapoor and girlfriend Alia Bart were humiliated while traveling at Mumbai airport.
Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor, the sixth-highest-paid actor in the industry, shared photos with his girlfriend Alia Bhatt as he left virus-ravaged India on April 19.
"The Maldives is calling us," Kapoor captioned his and Ms Bart's photos at the Mumbai airport.
Bollywood couples Disha Pattani and Tiger Schrof also went to the Maldives, and Patani, 28, shared photos of her basking in maldivian sunshine at beaches and luxury resorts on Instagram.
For now, both couples have returned to India over the weekend without making much of a statement.
Celebrities in India have spoken out to criticize the famous couple's untimely luxury escape, with Indian novelist and critic Shobhaa de posting on Instagram: "Showing off those ridiculous photos is a vulgar performance." ”
"Enjoy in the Maldives this way. If you can get such a rest in these bleak times, you are happy. But please do everyone a favor... Stay private. "
In one tweet, veteran actor Annu Kapoor urged public figures not to be sensitive.
"I implore wealthy people and celebrities from all walks of life, as well as the media, not to post photos of them on vacation in exotic countries at a time when much of the world is suffering from a pandemic," he said. ”
On other social media, these holiday celebrities have also been bloodied by public swearing.
"These people are really pathetic."
"Finally, they can only be seen during the pandemic."
"Where the hell have these celebrities gone?" The whole country is in such a crisis, the government has clearly imposed a lockdown, can't they wait for their holidays? "
However, the Bollywood couple, who have been slammed for being skinless, are just one of a group of wealthy Indians who fled the country as the virus crisis spiraled out of control.
A head of Enthral Airlines revealed that the 13-seat jet flight from Mumbai to Dubai cost $52,000, with the company's bookings very large in the last days before the United Arab Emirates banned flights from India on Sunday.
As more and more countries close their doors to India, the prices of commercial airlines are soaring. In the last days before the UAE flight ban went into effect, economy class one-way tickets from Mumbai to Dubai cost as much as $1,750, more than 10 times the normal price.