LUX Style Awards (LSA) has been receiving massive backlash after they rolled out nominations for its 21st edition, where Feroze Khan who has been under fire for alleged abuse against his ex-wife Aliza Sultan, had been nominated in the Best TV Actor – Viewers’ Choice category for his drama Khuda Aur Mohabbat.
The comment section of the LSA’s post was filled with netizens fuming over why Khan had been nominated for one of Pakistan’s biggest award shows. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the Oscar-winning filmmaker, announced that she would be returning her Lux Lifetime Achievement Award that she had received from the platform back in 2012, in protest, saying: “Lux is a beauty brand that sells soaps to women yet it has chosen to allow the nomination of a man known to have violently abused his ex-wife”.
To counter the controversy, the brand put out an explanation for its nominations and defended the ‘independent, transparent’ voting process. “The Lux Style Awards submissions are received from artists and channels as part of an open call for entries for consideration in the awards. All shortlisted nominations, for the Viewer’s Choice Category of the LSA 2022 are a result of exclusive viewer voting without any intervention by the Awards.”
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The reason for the uproar is the inclusion of Feroze Khan, who became a subject of controversy when photos of his ex-wife Aliza Sultan with bruises started circulating on social media. They were among the documents her legal team submitted to a District East Family Court as well as a report from the Accident and Emergency Department at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre documenting a complaint of assault in November 2020, mentioning “blunt injuries on both arms, [the] back, chest and face”. A “minor nosebleed” was also recorded. The provisional diagnosis read that it was an “assault”.
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy to return LSA award following Feroze Khan s nomination
Celebs from the entertainment industry have since condemned Feroze, his actions, and refused to work with him. They also offered Aliza their best wishes and extended their support to her. Setting a precedent, Iqra Aziz even withdrew her participation from an upcoming project with Feroze in a show of support for victims of domestic abuse.
On the other hand, Feroze released a statement, denying all abuse allegations levied against him. Now, after winning LSA, he took to Instagram and lauded Lux and Unilever for understanding the “sensitivity” of his situation. “Lux and Unilever have played real gangsters by how they understood the sensitivity of the matter,” quipped Khan.
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For the unversed, the backlash has further intensified after the Khaani actor won Best Actor (Male) People’s Choice for his role in Khuda Aur Mohabbat. His award was received by his sister Humaima Malick.
Proud Humaima Malick receives award for Feroze Khan at LSA 2022
