Mumbai: Months after facing backlash for commenting on Tamannaah Bhatia’s body, veteran actor Annu Kapoor has once again defended his controversial choice of words.
During a recent interview with Zoom, Annu was asked what he meant when he described Tamannaah as having a “dudhiya badan.” The host pointed out that he was heavily trolled over the remark and said that even if it was meant as a compliment or personal opinion, it didn’t suit him.
Annu, however, insisted that the outrage had more to do with Indians’ preference for English than with what he actually said.
“Yeh mera opinion nahi tha. Kyunki 250-350 saal ki gulami ki hai Bharatiyon ne, isliye angrezi mein maa ki gaali bhi achhi lagti hai. Lekin main Hindi mein gaali de doon toh chubh jaati hai,” he said.
When the host asked whether he believed it was a language barrier, Annu replied, “Haan, kyunki gulamon ki aulaadein hain na. Gulami abhi chitt se gayi nahi hai. 15 August 1947 ko jo azaadi mili, woh political freedom thi. Mansik roop se Bharat aaj bhi gulam hi hai.”
He then questioned why the English phrase “milky body” appeared acceptable while its Hindi translation, “dudhiya badan,” led to such intense criticism.
The host also asked whether he was trying to be misogynistic with his original remark. Rejecting the suggestion, Annu said, “Kya baat kar rahi hain aap? I would be the last person on this earth to show disrespect to any woman or any man.”
Annu ended the discussion by claiming that he had already apologised to Tamannaah and no longer wished to drag the controversy. “Raat gayi, baat gayi. Maine maafi maang li unse. Bhagwan unko sada suhagan rakhe,” he said.
The controversy began in 2025 after Annu reacted to Tamannaah’s appearance in the Stree 2 song Aaj Ki Raat by saying, “Mashallah, kya dudhiya badan hai.” His remarks were widely criticised online, with several social media users accusing him of objectifying the actress. According to reports Annu had defended the remark by arguing that “milky body” wouldn’t have attracted the same reaction.
