It all started when actor and good friend Rana Daggubati made unsolicited, unwarranted comments over Sonam Kapoor Ahuja at the promotional event for King Of Kotha in Hyderabad. In what was considered by many as a sly remark, the Rana Naidu actor commented that the actress had wasted her co-star Dulquer Salmaan's precious time during the making of their film 'The Zoya Factor'. Daggubati claimed that Sonam would gossip about online shopping with her husband Anand Ahuja over the phone between the shots while Dulquer would rehearse his lines.
His statement suggests, "He was doing a Hindi movie, and the producers are my friends. The shoot was happening near my house. I went there to meet Dulquer. While he was standing in the corner with the spot boy, a big Hindi heroine who was doing that movie was engrossed in a phone conversation about shopping in London with her husband. Her lack of focus affected the shots’ quality, frustrating those on set."
Netizens were quick to point out that while Rana had not mentioned any names in his statement, he was indirectly hinting at Sonam. Considering the social media storm that was raked following his revelation, the actor took to social media to apologise profusely, implying that his statement was taken out of context. "I am genuinely troubled by the negativity that has been aimed at Sonam due to my comments, that are totally untrue and were meant entirely in a light-hearted manner. As friends, we often exchange playful banter, and I deeply regret that my words have been misinterpreted. I take this opportunity to express my heartfelt apologies to Sonam and Dulquer, both of whom I hold in great esteem. I hope this clarification puts an end to any speculation and misunderstanding. Thank you for your understanding."
Sonam, in response, had posted a cryptic post quoting an Eleanor Roosevelt saying that read, “Small minds discuss people; average minds discuss events, great minds discuss ideas.”
Caught in between his co-star and his friend, Dulquer, during a promotional interview in Mumbai, opened up about the episode. Speaking to a channel, he said, "It is his (Rana's) statement, so I don't want to dive into it. I cherish every one. I feel that I have a wonderful group of friends, including co-actors and industry peers. I'm easygoing; I don't usually complain, and I'm fine. I believe whatever he chose to say, maybe he wasn't considering it fully. That's why he apologized. He's a close friend, and I suppose he was concerned that it impacted all of us, so he clarified."
King of Kotha releases in cinemas on August 24, 2023.
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