- Rakesh Bedi played Jameel Jamali in the film Dhurandhar 2, released March 19
- A clip showed Bedi greeting co-star Sara Arjun, sparking controversy online
- Bedi said the gesture was fatherly to make the young actor comfortable
Rakesh Bedi is currently basking in the success of his latest release, Dhurandhar 2, in which he played the role of Jameel Jamali and received widespread appreciation for his performance. However, the veteran actor recently revisited a controversy that emerged during the trailer launch of Dhurandhar.
During the event, Bedi leaned in to greet his co-star Sara Arjun on stage. Soon after, a short clip began circulating online, with some social media users claiming that it appeared as though the 71-year-old actor had kissed the shoulder of the 20-year-old actor. The moment sparked widespread discussion online and led to criticism directed at Bedi.
In Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar, Rakesh Bedi portrays the shrewd politician Jameel Jamali, while Sara Arjun essays the role of his daughter, Yalina Jamali.
Bedi recently revisited the incident and the backlash it drew while speaking on the Red FM podcast, stating that the moment had been misinterpreted.
What Rakesh Bedi Said
He said, "Ek chota sa incident hai. Woh meri bacchi hai Dhurandhar mein jo ladki mera daughter play kar rahi hai, Sara Arjun. Maine uske saath kitna kaam kiya hai film mein, toh woh jitni baar bhi aayi, main usko gale milke maathe pe kiss kiya, like a daughter. Aur yeh ek actor ka farz bhi hota hai, senior actor ka, ki yeh chhoti si bacchi thoda sa comfortable kar doon main... it was like beta sab theek hai, how're you?"
(It was a small incident. She plays my daughter in Dhurandhar - Sara Arjun. I've worked closely with her on the film, and whenever she would come, I would hug her and kiss her on the forehead like a daughter. It is also a senior actor's responsibility to make a young actor comfortable. It was like saying, 'Child, everything is fine, how are you?')
He further said, "Woh trailer launch pe woh ladki jab stage pe aayi, main usko aise hi kiss kiya aur logon ne kitna likha uske baare mein ki Rakesh Bedi kiss kar raha hai. Arey bhai, main usko hamesha hi aisa karta hoon. Balki logon ne jawab diya baad mein ki aap Rakesh ji ke baare mein aisa nahi bol sakte."
(At the trailer launch, when she came on stage, I greeted her the same way, and people wrote so much saying Rakesh Bedi is kissing her. I always greet her like this. In fact, later many people responded, saying you cannot speak like this about Rakesh ji.)
Commenting on public scrutiny, he added, "Logon ko toh kuch bahana chahiye, cheez chahiye bolne ke liye. Kiske baare mein log nahi bolte... kuch toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna."
(People always need something to talk about. Who do people not talk about? People will say something or the other - that's their job.)
This is not the first time; Rakesh Bedi had addressed the issue earlier as well. Talking about Dhurandhar 2, the film was released in theatres on March 19 and crossed the Rs 500 crore mark within five days of its release.
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