Published 29 Mar, 2022 01:36pm

Kangana Ranaut feels Will Smith was right to slap Chris Rock at the Oscars

American actor Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards caused quite the hubbub within the Hollywood fraternity and on social media. While many have spoken out against Smith for his behaviour — the actor too apologised and said his actions were "inexcusable" — Indian actor Kangana Ranaut feels he did the right thing, taking to social media to express her thoughts on the incident.

The incident materialised when Rock joked about Smith's wife, actor Jada Pinket Smith at the 94th Academy Awards held in Los Angeles on Sunday. Rock took a jab at Jada's shaved head, asking if she will appear in G I jane 2. "Jada I love you, G I Jane 2, can't wait to see it," he said, referencing the 1997 film in which Demi Moore undergoes Navy Seal training and shaves her head to appear less feminine. Jada, who has been open about dealing with alopecia, appeared uncomfortable because of the joke. Soon after, Smith walked up to Rock on stage and slapped him.

The actor's action triggered strong reaction online. While several condemned Rock for the joke, many also called out Smith for his behaviour. Ranaut took to Instagram Stories to voice agreement with what Smith did at the ceremony. The Queen actor said that anyone who insults one's family should be met with a slap.

"If some idiot used my mum or sister's illness to make [a] bunch of fools laugh, I would slap him like Will Smith did," she wrote alongside clap emojis, adding that she hopes Smith comes to the show Lock Uppa reality show in which celebrities locked "inside queen Kangana Ranaut’s jail" complete tasks and challenges to gain basic necessities.

While Ranaut praised Smith's action, other Bollywood stars expressed disagreement with how Smith behaved. Indian model and actor Gauahar Khan tweeted, "Oscar Jeet Gaye, par izzat haar gaye [Won an Oscar but lost all respect]," adding that Smith's action made her sad. She also said that comedians are "at risk" because of the new age of no tolerance.

Indian actors Varun Dhavan, Neetu Singh and singer Sophie Choudry also re-shared the incident on social media. Dhavan remarked how the incident was unexpected while Singh said, "...and they say women can never control their emotions," highlighting how women are often stereotypically berated for being 'overemotional' whereas men are considered as more composed. Choudry tweeted that "violence is never the way but cracking jokes about someone's medical condition should not be acceptable either".

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