Bengali Actress Subhashree Ganguly has condemned severe online trolling and death threats directed at her children following photographs of her meeting Lionel Messi during his G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025 visit to Kolkata on December 13-14. The backlash intensified after chaos at Salt Lake Stadium, where over 60,000 fans caused unrest due to poor crowd management, leading Messi to depart early amid reports of bottles and chairs being thrown.

In an emotional Instagram video posted on December 15, Ganguly explained that she received an official invitation and met Messi at a hotel between 10:00 and 10:15 am, taking photos before the stadium event. She was later requested by Messi's PR team to accompany them for security reasons. Ganguly emphasised witnessing the escalating tension upon arrival around 11:30 am and held organisers solely responsible for the mismanagement.

The actress questioned the personal attacks, asking if she was targeted for being a woman or a regional film star, and compared her experience to Bollywood celebrities like Kareena Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan, who also met and photographed with Messi without similar backlash. She expressed dismay at women criticising other women and references to her past relationships.

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Ganguly initially ignored the trolling, attributing it to fans' disappointment over missing Messi, but drew a firm line when threats extended to her two young children, allegedly including claims they would be killed. As a mother, she stated such abuse was intolerable.

The incident highlights broader issues of online harassment faced by female celebrities in India, particularly amid high-profile events marred by organisational lapses. As Messi's tour concluded across cities, the episode underscores the challenges of managing public expectations and ensuring respectful discourse in digital spaces.

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