A resurfaced video from a Bollywood awards ceremony with Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Vidya Balan has outraged fans. In the video, which is currently trending on social media, Shah Rukh and Saif co-hosting the event at the time participate in a segment that has been widely criticized as objectifying and belittling towards Vidya Balan.
Shah Rukh is heard uttering, “Honestly, between me and Saif, we love you with clothes…” to which Saif chimes in, “Without clothes.” SRK continues, “There should be no hard feelings.” The clip also had SRK and Saif jokingly requesting Vidya’s phone number because they “really like” her.
The camera sweeps to members of the audience, where a visibly uncomfortable Karisma Kapoor is seen sitting next to laughing Sunjay Kapur, with Kareena Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia looking surprised.
Vidya’s Witty Comeback Wins Applause
It was, however, an awkward moment. Vidya Balan took it in her stride and with a smile. When Saif insisted on her opinion on how they appeared, she replied, “When I saw you on stage tonight for the first time, I said to myself, ‘Wow, Yashraj has really cool waiters.'” Her witty riposte received guffaws from Kareena Kapoor and Twinkle Khanna and has been cheered by fans on social media.
Social Media Reacts: “This Hasn’t Aged Well”
Viewers did not take kindly to the segment, whether scripted or not. In a tweet, one person said, “Isn’t he the same SRK who keeps spouting ‘love women, respect women’? And he is doing this on such a large platform.” Another said, “That was actually quite offensive. Particularly from the actor she starred alongside in her first film.”
Others admired Vidya’s calmness. “Offense handled with brilliance,” said one fan. Another chimed in, “She’s intelligent, elegant, and far more eloquent than these two put together.
Years down the line, Vidya Balan spoke about the incident in an interview with Samdish Bhatia. She said that she didn’t want to receive the “Na-Real Award” making fun of her wardrobe. “I said, ‘Why me? My clothes are not just my choice.’ But I was too new to say no,” Vidya explained. She continued, “I wanted to share it with the costume designer and director, but they said no. That, I think, was not nice.”
The incident continues to spark debate about sexism in scripted comedy and the treatment of women in Bollywood’s entertainment circuits.
