Adil Hussain stands by ‘Kabir Singh’ remarks after Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s post

Hussain, in a recent podcast, said that he regretted acting in ‘Kabir Singh’, calling it misogynistic and saying the film “makes me feel small as a human being”

Adil Hussain, Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Actor Adil Hussain has doubled down on his statement about regretting acting in Kabir Singh (2019) after director Sandeep Reddy Vanga reproached the actor on social media

In a recent podcast on YouTube, Adil Hussain revealed that he had signed Kabir Singh without reading the script or watching the original. Hussain played the role of a medical college dean in Kabir Singh.

A Hindi remake of Vanga’s own Telugu cult hit Arjun Reddy (2017), Kabir Singh starred Shahid Kapoor as an alcoholic surgeon with anger issues. The film was a blockbuster despite being criticized as violent and misogynistic. Critics held that the film the promoted toxic masculinity by normalising the ill-treatment of women in romantic relationships. 

“That’s the only film in my life that I did without reading the script, without watching the Telugu movie it was based on,” Hussain was quoted as saying in the podcast. He added that he went to see the film in Delhi and walked out after 20 minutes, finding its content misogynistic.

“I went to see Kabir Singh in Delhi and after 20 minutes, I just walked out. The only film that I have regretted doing till date is Kabir Singh because I think it is misogynist and makes me feel small as a human being,” Hussain said.

“I think a film like this, it celebrates something which is not beneficial for the society. It legitimizes male misogyny. It legitimizes violence against anybody for that matter, it doesn’t have to be a woman. And it celebrates it, it glorifies it and it should not be glorified,” Hussain added.

Reacting to the viral video, Sandeep wrote on X, “Ur ‘belief’ in 30 art films didn’t get as much fame to u as ur ‘regret’ of 1 BLOCKBUSTER film did. I regret casting u,knwing that ur greed is bigger than ur passion. NOW I’ll save U from the shame by replacing Ur face with AI help

Now smile properly.”

Following Vanga’s post, Hussain, in an interview with TOI, said he had not seen the director’s tweet. The actor stood by his remarks about Kabir Singh.

“I’m in the US right now and haven’t seen Sandeep’s post. Neither do I intend to. What I said (about Kabir Singh) was in an interview, and not on social media. I was completely shocked when I saw the film and I regret doing it. I will not change my stand,” Hussain was quoted as saying by TOI.

Vanga, a commercially successful director noted for his frequent aversion to criticism, had earlier courted a feud with Javed Akhtar after the latter criticized his film Animal, a violent revenge saga starring Ranbir Kapoor.

Through a statement, the filmmaker had defended a scene where Kapoor’s character asks Tripti Dimri to lick his boot. “Writer of your (Akhtar’s) calibre cannot understand the betrayal of a lover (Between Zoya & Ranvijay) then all your art form is big FALSE... Let love be free from the politics of gender... (sic),” a statement from the team of Animal had read.