Mumbai Rains: Sidharth Malhotra's Ram Rahim Tweet Ridiculed Again By The Internet

New Delhi: The torrential rain that paralysed Mumbai yesterday had an unexpected side effect on social media - actor Sidharth Malhotra has been trending two days straight now because Twitter pounced on the opportunity to ridicule his Friday's post about the Gurmeet Ram Rahim rape verdict while also plugging his new film A Gentleman. All day yesterday, tweets sharing helpline numbers and other updates were punctuated by posts about how rained out (and in) Mumbai should stay safe while also catching the film. "All the people of Mumbai, Sidharth Malhotra urges you to please stay safe, stay indoors and watch A Gentleman" - and variants of this riff - was a refrain that popped up every so often on Twitter.
 

How Sidharth Malhotra is expecting his mumbai fans to come and watch his movie #AGentleman #MumbaiRains pic.twitter.com/OiqNnAR4XY

— Swagshank (@zZoker) August 29, 2017

 

All the people of Mumbai, Sidharth Malhotra urges you to please stay safe, stay indoors and watch "A gentleman"

— Kajol Srinivasan (@LOLrakshak) August 29, 2017

 

Sidharth Malhotra- "To all Mumbaikars who are stranded, hope you can see our film soon #Agentleman #PeaceAndLove"

— Atul Khatri (@one_by_two) August 29, 2017

 

Hello guys, i hope you are all fine in Mumbai. Take care, stay safe so that you can watch my movie Gentleman soon.

- Sidharth Malhotra

— Anuj Khurana (@HaddHaiYaar) August 29, 2017

 

To all the people of Mumbai , Assam and Bihar please stay safe. Hope you can see our film soon.
Sidharth Malhotra

— Divyanshu Dixit (@DdxBrand) August 29, 2017

The furious downpour receded today and, as Mumbai struggled to resume normal life, the mocking continued:
 

Now That You Guys Are Safe, Don't Forget To Watch Sidharth Malhotra's "A Gentleman" Today. #MumbaiRains #MumbaiFloods

— Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) August 30, 2017

 

#MumbaiRains
Hello Mumbaikars now you all are safe and transportation also restarted so plz go and watch my movie #AGentleman

- @S1dharthM

— Gujarati Jon Snow (@Gujju_Jon) August 30, 2017

Sidharth Malhotra kind of asked for the ruthless ridiculing by tweeting this on Friday morning, as Panchkula teetered on the edge of violence ahead of the verdict on Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim by the Haryana High Court:
 

To all the people of Haryana , please stay safe. Hope you can see our film soon #Agentleman #PeaceAndLove

— Sidharth Malhotra (@S1dharthM) August 25, 2017

He was shown no mercy. Twitter called Sidharth 'shameless' and 'ungentlemanly' for his tone-deaf promotion of a film while Panchkula burnt - Ram Rahim's conviction on two counts of rape provoked his followers to riot. 38 people died and 250 were injured in violent clashes and arson.

Sidharth Malhotra later said his tweet had been posted before the verdict was delivered. It didn't absolve him. Among his many detractors were politician Omar Abdullah, who posted this:
 

To people who are commenting on my morning tweets,they were made before the verdict ! Thoughts n prayers

— Sidharth Malhotra (@S1dharthM) August 25, 2017

A Gentleman, which stars Sidharth Malhotra in a double role and Jacqueline Fernandez as the female lead, opened to middling reviews. Box office business has likewise been slow, a fact that has also provided Twitter with cause for mirth.