Rakesh Bedi apologises for old remark, says didn't know word he used was banned
Rakesh Bedi has apologised for using a banned word in an old remark about the Dalit community. He said he was unaware of its inappropriateness or the fact that it was banned.
Actor Rakesh Bedi has apologised after an old video recently surfaced showing him using a word that is banned in India.
Bedi has lately been in the spotlight for his role of Jameel Jamali in Dhurandhar: The Revenge. His dialogues from the film have gone viral and old videos of the actor have been regularly resurfacing online. One such video shows Bedi using a word that is banned in India while speaking about the Dalit community.
The video sparked controversy, leading to calls for an apology. Responding swiftly, Bedi has released a new video expressing regret for his inadvertent use of the term.
In the old interview, Bedi had used the word "Harijan," which drew criticism from Kailash Jaiswar, Mumbai State President of the Azad Samaj Party. Following the backlash, Bedi apologised, stating he did not intend to offend anyone.
Addressing the issue in his apology video, Bedi said, "Hello friends, I'm Rakesh Bedi. A few months ago, I posted a video in which I said that Bhimrao Ambedkar did a lot of work for Dalits, Harijans and people from backward communities in our country. He worked very hard for their upliftment."
He added, "I now know that the use of the word 'Harijan' is banned in India. I never intended to offend anyone. If my use of this word has offended any individual or community, I apologise. I didn't say it intentionally. I didn't know it was banned."
Here's the video, shared by Jaiswar:
The controversy was highlighted by Jaiswar, who demanded an apology from Bedi for his statement.
Dhurandhar impact at the box office
Meanwhile, the popularity of Dhurandhar: The Revenge continues to grow. The film has raked in Rs 1,013.77 crore nett in India in just 18 days and is closing in on Baahubali 2’s Rs 1,030.42 crore, poised to become the second highest-grossing Indian film domestically.
The film features Ranveer Singh, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, Arjun Rampal, and Rakesh Bedi. This action-packed espionage thriller has been released in Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu languages.