New Delhi: YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has addressed the online backlash over using a before-and-after image of actress Janhvi Kapoor in the thumbnail of his video on Bollywood’s “fake beauty” standards and cosmetic procedures.
Several social media users speculated that the video, released on December 25, was timed as a response to Janhvi ‘s Instagram post condemning the lynching of Bangladeshi Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das as “barbaric.”
He dismissed the claims as unfounded, urging viewers to think critically rather than believe viral posts blindly. “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? (God has given you a brain, why don’t you use it? You’ll blindly believe whatever the BJP’s IT cell posts. Firstly, I posted a half-hour video the same day Janhvi Kapoor shared her post. Is that realistically possible?)”
He pointed out the impracticality of producing and uploading a detailed half-hour video on the same day as the actor’s post, and noted that he himself had previously highlighted issues facing 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 (Secondly, I myself made a reel about Bangladeshi Hindus, so why would I criticise that? I’m not like you guys who criticise people indirectly. I say it on the face whatever I have to say. I’m not afraid of your father, and I’m not afraid of any Bollywood celebrity),” Rathee explained.
Rathee emphasised that the video focused on the societal impact of plastic surgery, with Kapoor featured because she has openly discussed her procedures.“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 (And the third most interesting thing is that this entire video focuses on plastic surgery and its impact on society. I didn’t ask Janhvi Kapoor any questions throughout the video).”
Watch the video: Did I mock Janhvi Kapoor for her post on Bangladeshi Hindus?
Did I mock Janhvi Kapoor for her post on Bangladeshi Hindus?
Watch full video: https://t.co/xEdy3U616h pic.twitter.com/tlZNQy1D3i
— Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) December 27, 2025