In March 2024, actor Alia Bhatt faced online criticism after she attended a Gucci event in Mumbai carrying a black leather handbag. The criticism drew attention because she had recently promoted Poacher, a series about an ivory-poaching investigation.
What was reported
The controversy began with posts on Reddit and other social platforms. Users accused Bhatt of inconsistency after reports identified the handbag as leather. This was an online reaction, not a finding by a court, regulator or animal-welfare body.
Coverage by The Economic Times described Bhatt as a Gucci brand ambassador and said Gucci described the bag as made from leather. Some reports relied on a retailer listing to describe the material more specifically. Those reports should not be treated as proof about the precise source of the leather without the manufacturer’s product record.
Bhatt’s actual connection to Poacher
Poacher was a fictional investigative crime series created, written and directed by Richie Mehta. It was inspired by a real elephant-poaching investigation in India. Bhatt joined the series as an executive producer and helped promote its conservation message. Prime Video’s interview with Richie Mehta discusses her role as executive producer.
There is no verified “Poacher” fashion collection connected to this event, and Bhatt was not reported as the face of such a collection. Those claims appeared in the earlier version of this article without support and have been removed.
Claims that are not established
The available reporting reviewed for this update does not substantiate a statement from Bhatt saying that the bag was a gift or that she was unaware of its origin. It also does not establish that she issued a formal response to the criticism. The earlier article attributed such a response to her without evidence.
Likewise, criticism from social-media users does not establish that Bhatt misrepresented her views or violated any rule. Readers can assess the consistency of a celebrity’s choices, but the article should not convert that opinion into a verified fact.
Why the distinction matters
The documented event is narrow: Bhatt carried a leather Gucci bag soon after promoting a series about wildlife crime, and some social-media users criticised the perceived contradiction. Accurate coverage must separate that documented sequence from invented product lines, unsupported quotations and broad claims about a person’s motives.
Information checked through 27 October 2026.