Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is finally addressing the intense backlash he faced on social media after sharing Kiara Advani’s bikini photos from the War 2 teaser with a remark that many deemed indecent. He was in conversation with Vickey Lalwani when he shared that he has always been open about his comments about beautiful women and what he said could easily be taken as a ‘backhanded compliment.’ (Also read: Film exhibitors call Middle East conflict ‘blessing in disguise’ for averting Toxic vs Dhurandhar 2 box office clash)
What Ram Gopal Varma said
During the conversation, when the filmmaker was asked about his tweet on Kiara and what made him delete it, he said, “I really don’t remember what exactly I wrote or what I said in the tweet because I put so many tweets, and it was such a long time back. My whole point is if you’re putting an image like that in terms of a trailer – a beautiful girl in a bikini, which is supposed to provoke something.”
He went on to add, “I would think of it as a backhanded compliment in the context of how I felt about it. Even from Rangeela days, I never keep my comments about beautiful women under the thing. I was always open about it even when I talked about Sridevi… I will do everything the way I am. I’m not going to change myself as a person in the way I express myself, my thoughts, and all that, but my cinema will be different.” When asked why he deleted the tweet, he admitted that he does not remember why he did that.
For the unversed, the filmmaker said in a now-deleted post, “Instead of our countries and societies, if the war between Hrithik and Jr NTR is on who gets her b**k, then 2 will be a b***buster”. Many found the comment indecent and disrespectful towards the actor, and the filmmaker faced a lot of flake on social media.
About War 2
Helmed by Ayan Mukerji, the film is the sixth instalment in the YRF Spy Universe after Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai, War, Pathaan, and Tiger 3. Apart from Kiara, the film starred Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR in lead roles, along with Ashutosh Rana. The film opened to mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, with many criticising its dull writing and poor VFX, and underperformed at the box office.