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Varun Dhawan, Saif Ali Khan and Karan Johar defend nepotism, take a dig at Kangana at IIFA 2017

Varun Dhawan, Saif Ali Khan and Karan Johar defend nepotism, take a dig at Kangana at IIFA 2017

Was this a joke gone wrong or pure spite? It seemed like the latter
17 Jul, 2017

There was a lot of talk about celebrating women, recognising their achievements and promoting gender equality at this year's IIFA Awards.

Sonam Kapoor starrer Neerja bagged the coveted Best Picture award whereas Taapsee Pannu won Woman of the Year for her role in the charged courtroom drama, Pink.

But all was not rosy. IIFA hosts Saif Ali Khan and Karan Johar got together with, Varun Dhawan and attempted to take digs at Kangana Ranaut on stage.

Clearly, even after months, Johar still can't get over how Kangana Ranaut called him out for being "intolerant" towards outsiders, cultivating a culture of entitlement and favouritism on his talk show, Koffee with Karan. First followed rebuttal interviews, then that dreadful column and now this.

Here's how it all went down: When Varun appeared on stage, Saif joked that the Dishoom actor was only there by virtue of his birth.

“You are here because of your papa (David Dhawan),” Saif quipped. Varun said: “And you’re here because of your mummy (veteran actress Sharmila Tagore).” Karan was quick to add, “I am here because of my papa (late filmmaker Yash Johar).”

Varun then went on address Karan, "There was a song in your movie, Bole chooriyan, bole kangana..."

“Kangana na hi bole toh acha hai, Kangana bohot bolti hai" (it’s better Kangana doesn’t say anything, she talks a lot)," was what the director said next.

Oh and then the three grown men said "Nepotism rocks" in unison.

And they did all this at an event that she wasn't even attending.

To be fair, Varun Dhawan has said he doesn't know anything about feminism but hey, how about just basic human decency?

This isn't the first time men in positions of power have thought it's okay to crack jokes like this at the expense of their female peers. Remember when Zaheer Abbas casually implied that women talk too much at the Lux Style Awards earlier this year?

Slow clap for influential men like these Bollywood bigwigs who try so hard to silence women who speak up, who try to humiliate them in front of a live audience, who use their authority to keep women down instead of checking their privilege.

Comments

Huzaifa Jul 17, 2017 07:39pm
So it's all bad because it's about a woman, if the joke was on a man than it would have been okay. I can see a lot of equality in that.
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Sparta Jul 17, 2017 09:47pm
Bravo Karan, Varun and Saif for defending the nepotism tag (sarcasm). Look, it's okay to be called out and if you can't have a thick skin as a show host then try another area where you can only call in people who can suck up to your ideals. Chanting and celebrating the nepotism in Bollywood is no stranger but coming to USA and promoting that image in front of international audience is just plain stupid and absurd and tells you where you circle of tolerance ends. I guess Saif is still living in his Nawab days and thinks he is above the many commonalities. Varun - boy please don't even try.
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Zehra Jul 17, 2017 10:10pm
Well said
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kundan Jul 18, 2017 01:47am
Bollywood - An Industry where quantity matters more than quality/substance. An art industry where your success is measured in 'how much money you make' than how artistic it is. An industry where you can be an artist without being an artist as long as you have a pedigree or your parents are rich politicians/Industrialists.
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Rationalbabu Jul 18, 2017 03:09am
These big mouths would find it difficult to make a decent living without the backing of their papas and mamas. Kangana has actually done it with determination and hard work!
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Fried Chillies Jul 18, 2017 05:42am
What an irony Karan Johar favouring bias and discrimination
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ajay Jul 18, 2017 06:58am
@Sparta true...totally agree with you
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Adil Jul 18, 2017 08:46am
@Sparta Hollywood, American Politics, and Model industry in America is filled with nepotism. Google it. They understand nepotism far better than anyone.
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Reema Jul 18, 2017 08:52am
It's not man vs woman issue here. It's nepotistic kids vs hardworking outsiders that have to struggle years unlike free entry famous kids (iressepctive of gender). They don't like getting reminded of that fact. If reminded, they bite. So kangana became the causality.
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Pure Jul 18, 2017 09:47am
Now you only wait for her response!
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Haramullah Jul 18, 2017 09:48am
They all dared to say it in the absence of Kangana. Poor guys would not have dared to say in front of Kangana. They know they would have got a proper reply.
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Tejaa Jul 18, 2017 11:07am
Do you think she will end here. Instead she will start now. And she is not wrong all the times. Bindaas girl. It takes a lot of guts to say what she said. For her, it should not be all in the family.
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ringo Jul 18, 2017 11:36am
Well done Kagnaa you have scared the crap out of them! Bravo
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Alok Jul 18, 2017 12:14pm
Customer is King, we can show them the power if these stupid people do not give space to new talent.
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DIPAK SINGHAM Jul 18, 2017 12:37pm
Condemnable act by these three big bollywood man's, which is long back closed the issue. very Bad.
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VK Jul 18, 2017 08:13pm
@Rationalbabu Very Well said. Kangna is superior actor.
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Ramana Jul 20, 2017 05:17am
@Fried Chillies Bollywood is not an industry it is a large joint famili
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Ramana Jul 20, 2017 05:18am
@ringo correct, these "men" have glass jaws
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