Bollywood actor Vikrant Massey found himself at the receiving end of severe backlash after he stated in an interview that India got 'so-called azaadi' in 1947. He made the statement during the promotion of his upcoming film, The Sabarmati Report, and netizens stated that the actor is resorting to making controversial statements to grab eyeballs for his film.
During his appearance on Top Angle with Sushant Sinha podcast, Vikrant stated, "We need to understand that we are a very young nation. We were invaded and ruled by the French, Dutch and Mughals and finally the British. After hundreds and hundreds of years of oppression, we finally got so-called freedom. But was it really freedom?"
He went on to say, "They left behind a colonial hangover and we latched on to it. I feel the Hindus today have finally reached a position where they are demanding their own identity..."
Vikrant's statement on India's independence did not go down well with netizens, who slammed him and likened him with actress-BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who is known for her right wing stance.
"Such a steep fall for this actor, who now has the audacity to insult all the freedom fighters who fought for Indian independence," a user wrote on X, while another stated, "Meet Vikrant Massey, trying to be a male version of Kangana Ranaut. Lakhs of people sacrificed their lives for the Freedom & this person calling it as So called Aazadi."
An X user posted, "Many folks are surprised by @VikrantMassey's change of tone - people are asking why is the actor going to every possible show and talking like the male version of @KanganaTeam?"
This is not the first time that Vikrant has sparked controversy with his interview during the promotions of The Sabarmati Report. In another interview, the actor stated that while he was earlier known to be a critic of BJP, his political stance has now changed. "Jo chiz mujhe buri lagti thi, wo actually buri hain nahi. Log kehte hain musalman khatre mein hai, koi khatare mein nahi hai, sab sahi chalra hai. Toh isliye aaj main keh rahan hoon ki, I have changed over the last time," he said.
A video of this conversation went viral online and netizens said that it was just a promotional gimmick to market his film, The Sabarmati Report.
For those unversed, Vikrant will be seen playing the role of a journalist uncovering the truth of the burning of the Sabarmati Express in Godhra, which led to the Gujarat riots in 2002. The Sabarmati Report will release in cinemas on November 15.
