Dhurandhar 2 crossed Rs 500 crore in just five days after its March 19 release. One of its key performers, Rakesh Bedi, plays politician Jameel Jamali in the film. But even as the film celebrates success, Bedi recently addressed an old controversy that once put him in the middle of online criticism.
Sara Arjun, who is 20 years old, plays Yalina Jamali, Bedi's on-screen daughter in the film. At the Dhurandhar trailer launch, Bedi greeted her on stage. A clipped version of that moment spread online with many viewers claiming that the 71-year-old actor had kissed the young actress on her shoulder. Trolling followed quickly.
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The truth behind the clip
Bedi spoke about the incident on the Red FM podcast. He explained that his gesture was never romantic; it was fatherly. Throughout the shoot, he had regularly greeted Sara Arjun the same way to help her feel comfortable on set.
He said, "Ek chota sa incident hai. Woh meri bacchi hai Dhurandhar mein jo ladki mera daughter play kar rahi hai, Sara Arjun. Maine uske saath kitna kaam kiya hai film mein, toh woh jitni baar bhi aayi, main usko gale milke maathe pe kiss kiya, like a daughter. Aur yeh ek actor ka farz bhi hota hai, senior actor ka, ki yeh chhoti si bacchi thoda sa comfortable kar doon main... it was like beta sab theek hai, how're you?"
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What happened at the trailer launch?
During the event, Bedi leaned in to greet Sara Arjun on stage. A short clip from that moment spread quickly online. Many viewers claimed it looked like the senior actor had kissed the young actress on her shoulder. The clip drew strong criticism directed at Bedi.
He added, "Woh trailer launch pe woh ladki jab stage pe aayi, main usko aise hi kiss kiya aur logon ne kitna likha uske baare mein ki Rakesh Bedi kiss kar raha hai. Arey bhai, main usko hamesha hi aisa karta hoon. Balki logon ne jawab diya baad mein ki aap Rakesh ji ke baare mein aisa nahi bol sakte."
On public trolling, he said, "Logon ko toh kuch bahana chahiye, cheez chahiye bolne ke liye. Kiske baare mein log nahi bolte... kuch toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna."
Star cast of 'Dhurandhar 2'
The film was directed by Aditya Dhar, ‘Dhurandhar 2’ stars Ranveer Singh reprising his role as an Indian spy in Pakistan. The film also features R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Danish Pandor, Rakesh Bedi, and Sara Arjun.
