Bollywood celebs are always making headlines for whatever they say or do. They’re in the public spectrum all time and must be careful with their statements.
But there have been times when celebrities made some distasteful remarks and had to apologise for it.
1. When Salman Khan made a remark over Mumbai’s 26/11 attack and said, “Too much hype has been created around the 26/11 attacks because elite people were targeted.” The actor later had to issue an apology and said:
I’ve always had faith in our police and armed forces. I did not want to hurt anybody’s sentiments and if I have hurt anybody’s sentiments then I am really, really sorry.
Salman also landed himself into a public outrage when he compared himself with a ‘raped woman’ after the gruelling shoot ‘Sultan’. Later, his father, Salim Khan, took to Twitter to apologise on his behalf.
2. When Akshay Kumar received a lot of flak for holding the Indian flag upside down. He violated the code of conduct for the tricolor, by holding it upside down. The actor later took to Twitter and said:
Extending my sincerest apology for violating the code of conduct for the tricolor. Didn’t mean to offend anyone, the picture has been removed.
3. When Rang de Basanti actor, Siddharth made a remark on Saina Nehal’s tweet that said:
However, people soon started calling him out for his language. The actor later in an apology letter posted on Twitter said:
Dear Saina, I want to apologise to you for my rude joke that I wrote as a response to a tweet of yours a few days ago. I may disagree with you on many things, but even my disappointment or anger when I read your tweet, cannot justify my tone and words. I know I have more grace in me than that. As for the joke, if a joke needs to be explained, then it wasn’t a very good joke, to begin with. Sorry about a joke that didn’t land. I, however, must insist my wordplay and humour had none of the malicious intent that so many people from all quarters have attributed to it. I am a staunch feminist ally and I assure you there was no gender implied in my tweet and certainly no intent to attack you as a woman. I hope we can put this behind us and that you will accept my letter. You will always be my Champion.
4. When Mahira Khan became a target of much ire after a Halloween image surfaced online. It read “Mahira ko bahaar nikaalo” which was considered a representative image of an Indian regional political party.
She later took to Twitter and said:
The image from a Halloween event I attended has been made out to be something it never was. It was not done intentionally to hurt anybody’s sentiments, nor to make a political statement. If I have hurt anyone’s sentiments with the image of Halloween, I would like to apologise as that was not what I intended and was unintentional.
5. When Saif Ali Khan’s film Adipurush showed a humane side of the mythological character Raavan and created a stir on social media.
I’ve been made aware that one of my statements during an interview has caused controversy and hurt people’s sentiments. This was never my intention or meant that way. I would like to sincerely apologise to everybody and withdraw my statement. Lord Ram has always been the symbol of righteousness and heroism for me.
6. When Paresh Rawal compared the royals (raja) and music (vaja) to monkeys (vandra) and landed himself in a controversy with the said community.
My statement was not on the Rajput community. They are a splendorous community in India and they make us proud. Nothing wrong will come out of my mouth against such a brave community. If anyone was hurt by the statement I would like to apologise for it.
7. When Ranveer Singh received backlash for participating in a sexist ad by Jack and Jones.
It was important to give the brand creative freedom while designing their campaign, but I guess we got it wrong on one of those billboards and I’m sorry this happened but it’s a thing of the past. We rectified it immediately by having that hoarding taken down ASAP from everywhere over 30 cities overnight. I treat all women with the utmost respect both professionally and personally and would never do anything to disrespect them.
Read more: From Kriti To Nawazuddin, 12 Bollywood Celebs Share Their Real-Life Spooky Experiences.