Netizens slam Karan Johar for disrespecting Rabindranath Tagore in Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani trailer: 'Who has given you the audacity...'

Karan Johar, who is known for his lavish and romantic films, has faced the wrath of netizens for allegedly disrespecting Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate and revered poet of India, in the trailer of his upcoming film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. The film stars Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt as the titular characters, who fall in love despite their family differences.

The trailer, which was released on July 4, 2023, shows a scene where Ranveer's character Rocky, who is a Punjabi boy, visits Alia's house, which is a Bengali household. There, he sees a portrait of Tagore and mistakes him for Alia's grandfather. He even calls him 'dadaji'. This scene has irked many Bengali netizens, who have accused Karan of mocking and insulting the legendary figure, who is considered as a national treasure and a pride of Bengal.

Many Twitter users expressed their anger and disappointment at Karan for his poor taste and lack of sensitivity. One user wrote, "How can you make fun of Rabindranath Tagore? He is not just a poet, he is an emotion for Bengalis." Another user commented, "Karan Johar has no respect for Bengali culture and literature. He should apologize for this insult." A third user said, "This is not humour, this is ignorance and arrogance. Karan Johar should learn some history and manners." Another one wrote, "Disrespecting this person is not at all acceptable. Who has given you the audacity to joke on Rabindranath Tagore?"

Also read: Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani trailer first impression: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt's film looks like a dream - full of drama, romance, tears and laughter 

Some users also pointed out that Karan had earlier faced backlash for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community in his film Good Newwz, which had a scene where Akshay Kumar's character jokes about Lord Ram while wearing a kirpan. They questioned why Karan repeats such mistakes and does not learn from his past.

Karan Johar has not yet responded to the criticism. However, he had earlier slammed some trolls who abused him during his Instagram live session after the trailer launch. He had said, "Think before you comment, you also have a family at home."