Varun Dhawan issues clarification after criticism for kissing Gigi Hadid
What's the story
The second day of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre's inaugural event on Saturday was a starry affair and witnessed the presence of Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas, Gigi Hadid, Tom Holland, and Zendaya, among other celebrities.
However, Varun Dhawan was heavily slammed for lifting and kissing Hadid during his performance.
Following the backlash, he took to Twitter on Sunday and revealed it was "planned."
Clarification
'It was planned for her to be onstage': Dhawan
Quoting a viral but now-hidden tweet that attacked Dhawan for kissing Hadid, the Dilwale actor tweeted, "I guess today you woke up and decided to be woke."
"So lemme burst ur bubble and tell u it was planned for her to be on stage...find a new Twitter cause to vent about rather than going out and doing something about things (sic)," he added.
Video
Did you watch the video in question yet?
A video has surfaced on Twitter that shows Dhawan climbing down the stairs and inviting Hadid to perform with him, who looks slightly taken aback but complies nonetheless.
He then shakes a leg with her, lifts her up, does a twirl, and lends her a peck on the cheek before letting her go back into the audience.
This clip has now triggered a debate.
Twitter Post
Watch the entire video here
Wtf why did Varun Dhawan lift gigi Hadid !! This is not expected 😭#NMACC pic.twitter.com/tMuE3ESM1j
— 𝐀𝐬𝐚 (@coconut_codie) April 1, 2023
Netizens' reactions
What exactly was netizens' complaint?
Netizens are furious and believe Hadid didn't "consent" to being lifted or kissed, and Dhawan should be "called out publicly" for "crossing the boundary" like this.
A Twitter user wrote, "He did this because it keeps happening in Bollywood and nobody ever speaks up," while another said, "She is a supermodel! She is also India's guest. What is this creepy behavior?"
Gigi Hadid
What is Gigi Hadid's claim to fame?
Hadid was seen at Mumbai's NMACC on both Friday and Saturday.
One of the most sought-after international models, she is a spokesmodel for the beauty brand Maybelline and has walked for designers like Marc Jabocs, Max Mara, and the brand Chanel.
She has also shot for Vogue, Vanity Fair, and V Magazine.
She was in a relationship with singer Zayn Malik during 2015-21.