Kiran-Aamir, Sandeep Reddy Vanga stuck in blame game: Timeline explained
A controversy has erupted between filmmaker Kiran Rao, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, and actor Aamir Khan, with heated discussions taking place between the parties. The dispute began when Reddy Vanga criticized Rao for her previous remarks on movies like Baahubali 2 and Kabir Singh promoting misogyny and stalking. The situation has since intensified as Rao shared her thoughts on his comments. Here's a chronological breakdown of the events.
It all started with Rao's old remarks on gender sensitization
Last year, Rao addressed the issue of Bollywood films glorifying stalking as a form of wooing women. She reportedly cited examples like Reddy Vanga's Kabir Singh and SS Rajamouli's Baahubali. "Another [film], which I find fascinating, was Baahubali 1," she said, adding, "It started with this exciting fight sequence, where this woman is leaping from tree to tree, and she is a warrior. But the hero delicately strips her of her agency and makes her just a fantastic romantic interest."
'She doesn't know the difference between stalking and approaching'
In a Dainik Bhaskar interview, Reddy Vanga said he recently got to know of Rao's interview and accused her of not understanding the difference between stalking and approaching. "When people read these things out of context, they tend to agree. This is entirely wrong." He mentioned Khan's 1990 film Dil, saying, "I want to tell that woman that go and ask Khan about the song Khambe Jaisi Khadi Hai, what was that? Then come back to me."
Meanwhile, Khan's past apology went viral on social media
An old video of Khan apologizing for his film Dil and the song Khambe Jaisi Khadi Hai resurfaced amid the controversy. In this interview, Khan stated, "Hindi films have not been responsible enough, especially the way we project men and women...Even the songs are like Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast...I am very ashamed of it." Subsequently, social media users urged Reddy Vanga to apologize for objectifying women in his films, akin to Khan's apology.
'I have never seen his film': Rao responded
Rao, in turn, responded to Reddy Vanga's comments in a conversation with The Quint, clarifying that she never specifically mentioned Vanga's films. "Why he has assumed that I was talking about his film you'll have to ask him. I have never seen his film." Further, she commended her ex-husband for being one of the few who apologized for their problematic work in hindsight. She added, "If Mr. Vanga has something to tell Khan, he should tell him man to man."
'Animal's official X handle responded to Rao recently
The official Twitter account for Reddy Vanga's latest—and also controversial—offering Animal addressed Rao's comments, stating "they were not making assumptions" and that her criticism was reported by a major media channel. The tweet included a link to a Hindustan Times article as evidence. Notably, Rao and Khan divorced in 2021 after 16 years of marriage but continue to work together, with Khan co-producing Rao's upcoming directorial, Laapataa Ladies. It is set to hit theaters on March 1.
