New Delhi:
Online debate intensified this weekend after content creator Dhruv Rathee responded to claims that his latest YouTube video was aimed at actor Janhvi Kapoor following her post condemning the lynching of a Hindu man in Bangladesh. Rathee dismissed the allegations as “baseless”, stating that both the timing and intent of his content had been wrongly interpreted.
How the Controversy Began
Janhvi Kapoor recently shared a powerful Instagram message condemning the brutal killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh, calling the incident “barbaric” and urging people to speak against extremism.
Hours later, on December 25, Rathee released a video examining cosmetic procedures and the culture of “fake beauty” in Bollywood. The thumbnail featured several prominent actors, including Janhvi Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Shruti Haasan, Deepika Padukone, Shilpa Shetty, Kajol and Priyanka Chopra.
Soon after its release, sections of social media claimed that Rathee’s video was intended to undermine or distract from Janhvi’s stance on the Bangladesh incident — a narrative that quickly gained traction.
Dhruv Rathee’s Response
Addressing the accusations on Saturday, Rathee shared a video titled:
“Did I mock Janhvi Kapoor for her post on Bangladeshi Hindus?”
He rejected the allegations outright and urged users not to draw conclusions based on speculation.
“God has given you a brain, so why don’t you use it?” Rathee said, questioning why people were accepting viral claims without verifying basic facts.
He explained that the video on plastic surgery had been planned in advance and that producing a detailed half-hour documentary-style video in a few hours is logistically impossible.
“Is it realistically possible to research, shoot, edit and upload such a video in one day?” he asked.
Clarifying the Thumbnail Debate
Rathee also addressed criticism surrounding the video’s thumbnail, explaining that YouTube often rotates multiple thumbnails to measure engagement and performance.
He denied deliberately using Janhvi Kapoor’s image to divert attention from her Bangladesh post, calling that interpretation misleading.
“I Would Never Contradict That Issue”
Rathee added that he has previously spoken about issues related to Bangladeshi Hindus, making it illogical to accuse him of undermining the same cause.
“Why would I criticize that?” he said, reinforcing that his video was focused entirely on the societal impact of cosmetic enhancement culture.
