Do you remember the biggest celebrity controversy of 2019? Or 2018? No, can’t recall? Neither can we! To be honest, controversies and Bollywood go hand in hand. Celebrities’ statements and actions get scrutinised under a microscopic lens and then the self-proclaimed certifiers aka media, fans, and the rest of the world judge them all they want.
SRK once said in an interview that Amitabh Bachchan gave him a life lesson, which was, “whatever you do, you will always be in the wrong! So just fold your hands, and say sorry.” We couldn’t agree less with the first part of the statement. Yes, a lot of times controversies happen because celebrities actually land themselves in problematic positions (read: Shahid Kapoor & Kiara Advani justifying toxic masculinity in Kabir Singh). However, there are times when we wonder why is this even controversial?
Long story short, when it comes to Bollywood, the fans are never short of drama on and off-screen. In fact, by the time we catch up with yesterday’s trending controversy, people are already gossiping about the new feud in B-town. To remember all these juicy deets is not practically possible. That’s why we are here to refresh your memory!
9 Biggest Controversies In Bollywood That We Totally Forgot About
From Gauahar Khan getting slapped on stage to Shah Rukh Khan slapping Farah Khan’s husband, Shirish Kunder – here are all the dramatic controversies that will give you a blast from the past!
When Aamir Khan Called SRK His ‘Dog’
Mr. Perfectionist and King Khan are two of the most celebrated actors in the industry. However, the two often indulged in the race for ‘No.1 Khan of Bollywood’ from the very beginning and their fans are well aware of the cold war between them.
Even though the tension between the actors has cooled down now, there was a time when they weren’t so discreet about their dislike towards each other. Aamir Khan wrote a blog in 2008 and named his dog after SRK, who was ‘licking his feet.’ He wrote, “I’m sitting under a tree, on the edge of a valley, approximately 5,000 feet above sea level… Ammi, Ira and Junaid are by my side and we are in the middle of one of our favourite board games. Shahrukh is licking my feet and I am feeding him biscuits every now and then. What more can I ask for?”
He concluded the entry by writing, “Shah Rukh is once again begging for my attention, so let me get back to him. He is smelling too much. I think he needs a bath. Heal Boy, heal.”
Needless to say, SRK’s fans erupted in rage over the insensitive joke and lashed at Aamir Khan on all social media platforms. Aamir finally apologised when SRK said that he didn’t mind the joke but his kids, who are Aamir’s fans, were profoundly hurt.
When Gauahar Khan Got Slapped On Stage
The unfortunate incident happened in November 2014, sometime after she had bagged the Bigg Boss 7 trophy. Gauahar was shooting for a reality show’s finale and performing on stage when a junior artist from the audience, Akil Malik, snapped at her. He ran up to the stage and tried to touch Gauahar inappropriately. When she resisted, he slapped her for dancing in “skimpy clothes” despite being a Muslim.
Malik was charged for his atrocious behaviour and was taken into custody immediately.
Aamir Khan’s Alleged Affair With Jessica Hines
Around 1997, Aamir Khan began shooting for his movie Ghulam and around the same time, he allegedly fell in love with the author, Jessica Hines. According to some media reports, Aamir and Hines were living together when she got pregnant. Aamir asked her to either forego their affair or have an abortion. Jessica chose the former. If rumours are to be believed, Aamir has an illegitimate child with Jessica, Jaan or now known as John. Didn’t know this one, right?
When Twinkle Khanna Unbuttoned Akshay Kumar’s Jeans
Akshay Kumar walked the ramp at Lakme Fashion Week in 2009 to promote a denim brand and asked his wife, who was sitting in the audience, to unbutton his jeans. The incident irked many people and a case was filed against the couple for public indecency. It led to Twinkle Khanna’s arrest and she was later released on bail of Rs. 950.
Twinkle even talked about the incident on Koffee with Karan season 5. She candidly spoke about she still muses over the fact that she was arrested for partially unbuttoning her own husband’s jeans!
Shilpa Shetty & Richard Gere’s Kiss
Shilpa Shetty became the winner of Celebrity Big Brother season 5 in 2007 and the same year, Shilpa attended an HIV/AIDS awareness event in New Delhi. While on stage, Pretty Woman actor Richard Gere surprisingly kissed her on the cheek. He was trying to re-enact a scene from Dance with Me but sadly, it did not sit well with the Indian audience. As a result, arrest warrants were issued for BOTH the actors (seriously, what was Shilpa’s fault in this?) but luckily, the suit was dismissed by the Supreme Court of India. Apparently, Shilpa getting kissed on the cheek meant that she had ‘dishonoured the culture of India.’
Mandira Bedi Wore A Flag-Themed Saree
We all know that Mandira Bedi is quite a fashionista but we cannot forget her stylish saree collection that she showcased in 2007 while hosting the cricket World Cup. In every game, the diva donned beautiful sarees that were to die for! However, one of those sarees that she wore during the final match of the World Cup, became highly controversial. The quirky saree was flag-themed and sported different national flags all over it. However, after draping, the Indian flag appeared below her knees. Obviously, it stirred quite a controversy and Bedi issued an official apology for the same.
Mallika Sherawat Draped Indian Flag for ‘Dirty Politics’ Poster
Mandira Bedi’s controversy was a clear statement to understand that one cannot and should not handle the National Flag lightly. However, Mallika Sherawat and the makers of Dirty Politics had either seemed to have forgotten that or never knew about it in the first place.
The movie poster became quite a controversy for showcasing Mallika Sherawat on top of an Ambassador with nothing but the tricolour draped around her. Needless to say, the poster was one of the biggest Bollywood controversies in 2014.
SRK Slapped Shirish Kunder
From Salman Khan and SRK’s big fight to the recent ‘white powder’ scandal at Karan’s get together, Bollywood parties have been infamous for mostly the wrong reasons. In 2008, at one such party, Shah Rukh Khan allegedly slapped Farah Khan’s husband, Shirish Kunder. Reportedly, Shirish got drunk and kept following SRK everywhere, which ultimately triggered the actor. Shirish later apologised and informed that the issue has been resolved.
Mahesh Bhatt Kissed Pooja Bhatt For A Magazine Cover
When it comes to celebrities on magazine covers, our favourite actors have often been questioned about their fashion choices and pictures. Let’s take a moment to recall that the controversies that happened because of magazine covers–Govinda and Juhi Chawla posed for a magazine cover with dresses made of aluminium sheets, Akshay Khanna awkwardly had his hand around Karisma Kapoor’s crotch area.
One such controversial cover was of Stardust magazine in the 90s where Mahesh Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt were kissing each other. The father-daughter affection did not sit well with the audience and on top of that, Mahesh Bhatt’s statement where he said, “If Pooja had not been my daughter, I would have married her,” stirred more outrage among people.
Well, we bet you had forgotten all about these controversies from the past!
Feature Image: Instagram
