Don't Spread Hate: Kapil Sharma Reacts to Criticism over Alleged Racist Remarks Towards Atlee

Kapil Sharma defends himself after facing backlash over a controversial joke about Atlee's appearance on The Great Indian Kapil Show.

Hyderabad: Kapil Sharma has found himself at the center of a controversy after a joke he made on The Great Indian Kapil Show about filmmaker Atlee was perceived by some as racist. The incident occurred during a segment of the show, which aired on Netflix this past Saturday, where Atlee appeared alongside the cast of his upcoming film Baby John, including actors Varun Dhawan, Keerthy Suresh, and Wamiqa Gabbi.

In the segment, Kapil, in his usual comedic style, asked Atlee, "When you get to meet a star for the first time, do they ask, where is Atlee?" This led Atlee to respond, "In a way I understood your question. I will try to answer. I am actually very thankful to AR Murugadoss sir because he produced my first film. He asked for a script, but he did not see how I was looking or whether I am capable of it or not. But, he loved my narration. I think the world should see that. We should not judge by appearance. You have to judge by your heart."

Dear sir, can you pls explain me where n when I talked about looks in this video ? pls don’t spread hate on social media 🙏 thank you. (guys watch n decide by yourself, don’t follow any body’s tweet like a sheep). https://t.co/PdsxTo8xjg

— Kapil Sharma (@KapilSharmaK9) December 17, 2024

While Atlee's response highlighted the importance of judging someone based on their abilities rather than their appearance, many social media users felt that Kapil's question implied a judgment based on Atlee's looks, resulting in accusations of racism. The backlash was swift, with people calling out Kapil for making insensitive remarks about the filmmaker's appearance.

Kapil, however, took to social media to defend himself. On Tuesday, he posted a response on X (formerly known as Twitter), urging people to watch the entire episode before passing judgment. He shared a post that read, "Kapil Sharma subtly insults Atlee's looks? Atlee responds like a boss: Don't judge by appearance, judge by the heart" and wrote, "Dear sir, can you pls explain me where n when I talked about looks in this video? pls don't spread hate on social media (folded hand emoji) thank you. (Guys watch n decide by yourself, don't follow any body's tweet like a sheep)."

This was Kapil's first public reaction to the growing criticism. Since the episode's release, opinions have been divided on social media, with some defending Kapil's intent while others expressing disappointment over the perceived tone of his joke. Despite the uproar, Atlee has not yet commented on the controversy.

In a different news, veteran actor Mukesh Khanna also criticised Kapil Sharma, accusing him of promoting 'obscenity' through his comedy. Khanna claimed that many of Kapil's jokes are 'below-the-belt,' further intensifying the debate over the comedian's style of humour.

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