A veteran actor Annu Kapoor has again defended his controversial “dudhiya badan” comment about actress Tamannaah Bhatia, as he feels the anger of people who are against his comments is a result of continued influence of British colonial thinking on Indian society.
The actor, who came under fire for comments he made about Tamannaah’s appearance, said he didn’t think it was disrespectful to women. Kapoor also defended the comment in a conversation with Zoom and compared it to the use of similar phrases in English.
“People have no issues when cuss words are said in English. It seems to spark controversy when it's said in Hindi. People have no issues with ‘milky body’ but with ‘dudhiya badan’,” he said.
Kapoor then linked the controversy to India’s colonial past, claiming that the country may have achieved political independence in 1947 but remains influenced by British thinking.
“We had been slaves to the British for 250 years. On August 15, 1947, we only won political freedom. We are still British slaves mentally,” the veteran actor said.
When Kapoor was asked whether his comments amounted to disrespect, Kapoor rebuffed the suggestion. He said he would be the last person to disrespect a man or woman. He also said he would apologise to Tamannaah if she personally felt hurt by his comment.
The controversy started after Kapoor appeared on a YouTube interview with Shubhankar Mishra last year. The actor said he had a conversation about Tamannaah’s popular song “Aaj Ki Raat” and commented on her appearance using the term “dudhiya badan”, which means “milky body”.
The comment received swift criticism on social media, as many users accused the actor of objectifying the actress. Some said that comments about a woman’s body should be publicly discussed in such a way, particularly by a senior actor.
Kapoor, however, has continued to defend the comment and has argued that the criticism was partly driven by the difference between Hindi and English expressions.
Tamannaah herself has spoken about the way women are described in the entertainment industry. When talking about her casting in the supernatural thriller “Odela 2”, she addressed the term “milky beauty” that has often been associated with her.
The actress questioned why a woman viewed as glamorous should be seen as incompatible with a powerful spiritual character. She said glamour and strength shouldn’t be viewed as incompatible and women must learn to celebrate themselves.
Tamannaah’s popularity grew even more after the success of “Aaj Ki Raat”, which became a major sensation after the song was released. The song’s dance and popularity made it one of the most talked-about songs of the year.
Kapoor’s latest comments have once again brought the earlier controversy back into the spotlight. But while the actor has said that his words were not to insult Tamannaah and he has expressed his willingness to apologise to her if she felt hurt, some of his critics say the language used was objectifying.
As a result of the debate, we have been back to the field of celebrity comments, sexist comments on body and the changing expectations around public figures in the entertainment industry.
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