Actor Suniel Shetty recently landed in the crosshairs of netizens for his remarks on marriage and the role of women in parenting.
In an interview with news portal Pinkvilla, the 63-year-old actor said that if a man is working, the woman must look after the kids.
“Aaj kal bacchon mein patience hai hi nahi. Shaadi kuch time ke baad ek samjhauta hota hai, (Kids today have no patience. Marriage, after a while, becomes an understanding) in which you must comprehend and care for one another,” he said.
Shetty continued, “Phir ek bacha aata hai, aur patni ko yeh jaan na zaruri hai ki husband career banayega toh bache ko main dekh rahi hoon. Of course, saath mein dekhega. Par aaj kal sab cheezon mein pressure hota hai. (Then a child enters the scene, and the wife must know that if her husband is pursuing his work, she must care for the child. Of course, the husband will be involved. But nowadays, there is just too much pressure).”
Earlier this year, Shetty had come under fire for referring to caesarean deliveries as a “comfortable” choice for women. Shetty was praising his daughter Athiya for opting for a natural delivery. However, The Border actor’s comment did not sit well with netizens, with many highlighting that the actor was ignorant of the physical toll that C-section deliveries take on women’s bodies.
Nevertheless, Shetty is not the first Indian actor to be called out for his allegedly sexist remarks. Here’s a look at other Bollywood celebrities who have been at the centre of similar backlash.
Randeep Hooda
In 2012, Randeep Hooda made a crude joke about BSP chief Mayawati at a public event, mocking her appearance. “I think I will tell a very dirty joke. Once Ms Mayawati was walking along the street with two kids...two boys. There was a man who asked her if they were twins. When Mayawati clarified that they were not, the man said, 'I can’t believe someone has been there twice',” said Hooda, drawing the ire of netizens. As a repercussion, he was removed as an ambassador of the UN’s Convention for the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.
Ranveer Singh
During an appearance on Koffee With Karan Season 3, Ranveer Singh asked his Band Baaja Baaraat co-star Anushka Sharma, “You want your a** pinched? I am right here.” While host Karan Johar laughed, Anushka looked visibly uncomfortable and asked Ranveer not to speak to her like that. Ranveer faced considerable flak online for his remarks during the episode.
Mukesh Khanna
Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna, who played the role of an Indian superhero in the television series Shaktiman, courted widespread criticism for equating girls who ask for sex with sex workers in a 2022 YouTube video. Earlier, on October 31, 2020, the actor made a statement, blaming working women for the rise of the #MeToo movement. In a widely circulated interview, Khanna stated, “The problem of #MeToo began when women started working. A woman’s job is to take care of the house.”
Salman Khan
While promoting his 2016 film Sultan, Salman Khan sparked outrage by saying that he felt like a “raped woman” after filming intense wrestling scenes for the movie. Although some in the audience laughed, the comment drew widespread criticism for its insensitivity.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Sandeep Reddy Vanga, known for directing films like Animal (2023), Kabir Singh (2019) and Arjun Reddy (2017), said in a 2023 interview, “When you are deeply connected with a woman or vice versa, if you don’t have the liberty of slapping each other, then I don’t see anything there.” The director was slammed by social media users for allegedly glorifying domestic violence.