Mumbai: Actor Anushka Sharma has found herself at the centre of an online controversy after reposting content related to homeopathy on social media.
The post quickly drew criticism from a section of users, including popular physician and health influencer Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, widely known as The Liver Doc, who strongly objected to the claims being shared.
The exchange reignited the long-standing debate over homeopathy and the responsibility of public figures when sharing health-related information online.
It all started after Anushka reposted a video featuring renowned homeopathic practitioner Rajan Sankaran in a conversation with entrepreneur Namita Thapar.
Sharing the clip online, the actor spoke about the impact homeopathy has had on her life and acknowledged Sankaran as someone who has played a significant role in shaping her approach to health and well-being. “Homeopathy played an important role in my life and Dr Rajan Sankaran has been a key part of that journey. I deeply value his insights on health and mindful living,” Anushka wrote.
During the conversation, Sankaran emphasised that homeopathy should be considered one component of a larger healthcare framework and noted that no single medical system can address every health concern on its own.
“Homeopathy doesn’t treat conditions, it treats people. By treating people, it heals them. By healing the human, their pathology also heals. Homeopathy can treat everybody. But can it cure everybody? Like every system it has limitations. Because modern medicine does not have long-term solutions, multiple solutions for multiple sclerosis, allergies eczema, so these are all illnesses for which I would say even modern medical doctors refer their patients for homeopathy. We are living in an era of integrated medicine. We are not here to prove the superiority or inferiority. It’s not either or anymore. We need to know the strengths and limitations of each system,” he said.
Dr Philips, a long-time critic of homeopathy, reacted strongly to the video reposted by Anushka, criticising the content and reigniting debate around the endorsement of alternative medicine online.
Referring to Sankaran, Namita and Anushka as a “triangle of shame,” he wrote, “Supplement Seller – Legalized Quack – Illiterate Celeb.”
Arguing that homeopathic remedies do not contain active medicinal ingredients, he added, “Homeopathy is ‘medicine’ made of water, alcohol, and sugar. So you’re paying premium prices for fancy sugar pills containing precisely no medicine at all.”
