A fresh online controversy has put YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and actor Janhvi Kapoor at the centre of a heated debate. It all began with a thumbnail. Rathee used a before-and-after image of Janhvi Kapoor in a video that discussed “fake beauty” and cosmetic surgery.
Within hours, social media exploded with claims that Rathee was targeting the Param Sundari actress for political reasons. The issue soon snowballed into a larger narrative, forcing Rathee to step in and clarify his stand.
How The Controversy Started
The backlash started after users noticed the timing of Rathee’s video. Around the same time, Janhvi Kapoor had shared a post expressing support for Bangladeshi Hindus. Soon after, Rathee’s thumbnail began circulating widely, with many assuming a connection between the two events.
A viral post summed up the accusation in one line. It read, “Wake Up Hindus. Janhvi Kapoor posted for Bangladeshi Hindu & Dhruv Rathee made a video questioning her beauty.”
The claim spread rapidly across platforms. Many users believed the video was a direct response to Janhvi’s post. Others accused Rathee of subtly attacking a Bollywood celebrity for speaking up on a sensitive issue. However, no concrete link was established. The outrage was largely driven by assumptions and online speculation.
Dhruv Rathee On Claims Of Targeting Janhvi Kapoor
After facing massive backlash, Dhruv Rathee uploaded a separate video to address the claims head-on. He began by calling out the lack of basic logic behind the accusations. Rathee questioned why people were blindly trusting viral posts without thinking through the timeline.
He said, “Tumhe Bhagwan ne dimag diya hai, kyun nahi istemal karte iska? Matlab BJP ke IT cell wale jo post dalte rahenge, tum usse andhadhun yakeen karte rahoge. Pehli chiz toh jis din Janhvi Kapoor ne post daali, usi din maine aadhe ghante ka video dal diya. Kya yeh realistically possible hai?”
Rathee stressed that creating a detailed, half-hour video takes planning and time. According to him, it was impossible for the video to be a reaction to Janhvi’s post shared the same day.
He further rejected the idea that he would criticise someone for supporting Bangladeshi Hindus. “Dusra maine khud Bangladeshi Hindus ke upar reel banayi, toh main uss chiz ko lekar kyun criticise karunga? Main tum logo ki tarah nahi ho ke kisiko indirectly criticise karta. Main jo bolna hota hai mou pe bolta hoon. Naa main tumhare papa se darta aur naa hie main kisi Bollywood celebrity se darta.”
About The ‘Fake Beauty’ Video Of Dhruv Rathee
Rathee made it clear that the video had no political angle. He explained that the content focused entirely on cosmetic surgery and its impact on society. According to him, the discussion was about unrealistic beauty standards and the pressure they create, especially for young audiences.
He said, “Aur teesri sabse interesting chiz yeh hai ke yeh pura video plastic surgery ke upar hai, ke uska kya impact padhta hai society pe. Iss poore video mein maine Janhvi Kapoor se koi sawaal nahi kiya.”
Rathee added that Janhvi Kapoor was used in the thumbnail because she is one of the few Bollywood actors who has openly spoken about undergoing cosmetic procedures. He insisted that the choice was factual and not personal.
So far, Janhvi Kapoor has not reacted to the controversy. She has neither responded to the allegations nor commented on Rathee’s clarification video.
