TMKOC fame Munmun Dutta aka Babita Ji slammed for 'casteist remark,' actress issues apology
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah actor Munmun Dutta aka Babita Iyer on Monday apologised for using a casteist slur in a recent video. The actress has come under scrutiny for the comment she made during a make-up YouTube video. She blamed the 'language barrier' for her ignorance. In the clip, Munmun can be heard telling her fans that she has put on some make-up after a long time as she wants to look good on YouTube and not look like a 'bhangi.' The stated word that is used in a derogatory manner against individuals belonging to a lower caste.
As soon as the video was oout, Twitterati slammed her for making a 'casteist remark' and demanded her arrest. Users tagged their tweets with the hashtag #ArrestMunmunDutta.
After several raised their voice against the usage of the word. Munmun later issued an apology on all her social media platforms.
Taking to her Instagram, she put out a statement, which read: "This is in reference to a video that I posted yesterday where in one word used by me has been misinterpreted. It was never said with the intent to insult, intimidate, humiliate or hurt anyone's feelings."
"Because of my language barrier, I was genuinely misinformed about the meaning of the word. Once I was made aware of its meaning I immediately took the part down. I have utmost respect for every single person from every caste, creed or gender and acknowledge their immense contribution to our society or nation," she added.
She concluded, "I sincerely would like to apologize to every single person who has been unintentionally hurt by the usage of the word."
Reacting to her apology, filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan tweeted, "'Has been misinterpreted'? 'Never said it with intent to hurt'? There is no other interpretation! You said the B word and there is no way to cover it up. Apologise and shut up."
