Vivek Agnihotri hits back at Twitter user who called paparazzi at NMACC gala ‘disgraceful’: Nothing wrong in…

The launch of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai saw several Bollywood, as well as international stars, arrive in style. Zendaya, Tom Holland, Gigi Hadid, Penelope Cruz, and Karlie Kloss were some of the stars who posed for the Indian paparazzi. Videos from the event where the photographers addressed the stars hilariously went viral on the internet and turned into memes. Now filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has reacted to the same on his Twitter and replied to a user that said that the paparazzi videos are ‘disgraceful’ and a ‘reminder why India is still perceived as a nation of low-class illiterates’. (Also read: Vivek Agnihotri says Bollywood is in bad shape again as he reacts to box office report: Giving unrealistic fees to stars)

Taking to Twitter, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has now reacted to the same incident, and responded to a user who has criticized the behaviour of the paparazzi as ‘putting the nation’s reputation at stake.’ A user tweeted, “The clips from NMAAC are hilarious. I laughed so hard at “jiji hai gigi nahi”. But let it play for a little longer and you’ll realise it’s disgraceful. The language used is uncivil and embarassing. I feel ashamed. This is red carpet. They’ll smile now. They won’t when they’re back home. They’ll talk about the behaviour they witnessed. They won’t talk about some “incompetent media reporters in Mumbai”, they’ll talk about “the culture in India.” We’re too quick when it comes to taking credit “Look! Another CEO from India, another policy maker with Indian origin in a foreign nation” while we, the actual Indian public, shits on the reputation built over decades.”

“What upsets me even more is I did not come across one tweet which reflected this realisation, making me wonder if anybody even did. Not every instance of mockery is funny. Not every joke is worth putting the nation’s reputation at stake. People sit behind the banners of political parties and nationalist agendas to invoke riots and violence while literacy and poverty continues to take a backseat. This video should be a reminder why India is still perceived as a nation of low-class illiterates. Yes, we are known for our work. But we are still known for being a cheap labor-oriented country, not a visionary one. Understand the difference next time you celebrate the news headlines, okay? If you feel offended reading this post, you’re taking your eye off the pie. If you feel ashamed too, feel better that you’re atleast cognizant of the issue I mentioned. Now I challenge you to laugh. Now I challenge you to let it slip. Peace,” the tweet further read.

Vivek re-tweeted the post and added that there’s ‘nothing wrong’ with the perception so gathered from the way the paparazzi reacted, and wrote, “Paparazzi is the same everywhere. Even they can’t pronounce names of people from different origin. And nothing wrong in being what we are.”

Several videos from the event where the Indian paparazzo shouted incorrect names at the stars have gone viral on the internet. While some called Tom Holland ‘Makdi Man’, ‘Kya Spiderman banega re tu (how will you become Spiderman)’, others addressed Zendaya as ‘Jhandeyaaa’ and then said ‘Jijaji sharma gaye (brother-in-law is shy)’ to Nick Jonas. All of these turned out to become memes which sparked hilarious reactions on social media.