Dia Mirza faces backlash over son’s plastic comments; Richa Chadha hits back, 'Usual brain-dead suspects'
Mirza had shared an anecdote where her son had told off a delivery worker
A podcast moment about parenting and plastic waste has spiralled into a full-blown social media debate, pulling actor Dia Mirza into the centre of online trolling, and now drawing a sharp response from fellow actor Richa Chadha.
It began with a short clip from Soha Ali Khan’s podcast, where Mirza recalled an incident involving her five-year-old son, Avyaan, who reportedly told a delivery worker off for bringing coconut water in plastic bags. The moment, intended as a light anecdote about eco-awareness at home, quickly took a very different turn online.
As the clip spread, a section of users accused Mirza and her son of “entitled arrogance,” triggering a wave of criticism that snowballed across platforms.
Richa Chadha steps in
Responding to the backlash, Richa Chadha reshared a post on X that questioned Mirza’s environmental stance, and followed it with a strongly worded defence of the actor.
In her note, Chadha pushed back against the culture of online pile-ons and the expectation that public figures must constantly withstand abuse without speaking up.
“Y’all wonder why actors don’t speak up ? (Damned if you do, damned if you don’t!) Apart from the routine haranguing by the usual, brain-dead suspects, there’s also this! Of course punch up yaar, actors ki mental health ka kya hai. Aaye din suicides kar ke salacious news cycles ko feed bhi karna to artist ka kartavya hona chahiye (What about mental health of actors? They need to feed the news cycles right?) Haina? Women with privilege will be shamed if say anything outside the syllabus. Lipstick, bikini, GRWM, OOTD, make-up haul et al.”
She added that Mirza’s environmental work is often overlooked in online discourse, pointing to her involvement in sustainability-linked initiatives.
“Just FYI, @deespeak is involved with a bamboo paper company, (means no trees are cut to manufacture paper), and WITHOUT, a plastic recycling start up that makes very cool sunglasses. She’s also produced a lovely short on the climate, it screens at PardaFaash, Mumbai, tomorrow 3.07.26. Check these things out, because if you can bully a 5 year old, you can also run a basic google search na.”
'She doesn’t own a Jaguar'
Chadha went on to challenge claims circulating online about Mirza’s lifestyle and environmental credibility, adding a personal note about their friendship.
“She gifted me 1100 trees as a wedding gift and and inspired me to gift trees to the Press in turn when my own baby girl was born. See photos? She doesn’t own a Jaguar LOL, I have only seen 2 electric cars ever. And if she was imperfect in the past, oh please forgive her dear kind lord, show mercy!”
She further defended Mirza’s activism, arguing that those working in environmental causes often face disproportionate criticism despite their efforts.
“Dia does more for ecological restoration in a day - than YT bloggers (who could well give Perez Hilton a run for his money) or arguably you - do in a whole year. Those who want to do good in the world, do so at a great personal cost. So please discourage them, troll them properly from that super comfy armchair. Call them hypocrites because the urgent work today, right now, is to shame them.”
How it began
The controversy traces back to Mirza’s appearance on the podcast, where she shared a parenting anecdote about her son reacting strongly to single-use plastic.
Describing the moment, she said the coconut water delivery prompted her child to confront the delivery worker:
“The coconut wala delivered the coconut and nothing burns my blood more than coconut water arriving in plastic bags with plastic straws. So this boy, bichara, he didn’t know whom he was delivering. So Avyaan opened the door and he puts his hand on his hips and says, ‘Bhaiya plastic me lekar aaye hai, hamari ghar mein plastic not allowed, aap usko plastic se nikalo, usko neeche rakho aur plastic aur straw leke jao (Why have you got this in plastic? Plastic is not allowed in our home, put it down and take the plastic away).’”
Her account was met with praise by Soha Ali Khan, who responded:
“Imagine standing up to somebody who is an adult and to have that conviction.”
