Bollywood was buzzing after comedian Zakir Khan’s cheeky dig at the so-called “Bandra-Juhu” crowd during a recent awards ceremony. The remark, aimed at those reportedly envious of the hit film ‘Dhurandhar’, has sparked reactions from some of the industry’s heavyweights including actress Ameesha Patel and director Siddharth Anand.
Ameesha Patel calls out negativity
Ameesha didn’t hold back. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, she wrote, “DUDE, Stop spreading NEGATIVITY! The film industry has valued and respected ‘DHURANDHAR’! Superstars like SRK, SALMAN, SUNNY, HRITHIK, AJAY, etc. have given not just one but 25-plus mega hits and will continue to do so. CHILL, GADAR bahut saalon se sabne machai hai, aur aage bhi machaayenge.”
DUDE-Stop spreading NEGATIVITY!film industry has valued n respected DHURANDHAR!Superstars like SRK,SALMAN,SUNNY , HRITHIK,AJAY et have given not just 1 but 25 plus mega hits n will continue to do so👍CHILL-GADAR bahut saalon se sabne already machai hain aur aage bhi machaayenge👍 pic.twitter.com/MqOD74LH83
— ameesha patel (@ameesha_patel) April 7, 2026
Siddharth Anand weighs in
Director Siddharth Anand, known for blockbuster hits like ‘Pathaan’, ‘War’, and ‘Fighter’, also took offense.
He posted, “Juhu – Bandra peeps have given all ATBB’s (all-time blockbusters) since the past 50 years. You have to be a real duffer to undermine their contribution.”
Juhu – Bandra peeps have given all ATBB’s since the past 50 years. You have to be a real duffer to undermine their contribution 😂
— Siddharth Anand (@justSidAnand) April 7, 2026
Zakir Khan’s joke
Zakir, who was hosting the awards show, quipped, “Kitne hi congratulatory posts aap daal dein, kitni hi stories daal dein, kitni hi interview mein aap bol dein ‘my favourite film’, magar sach toh yeh hai ki ‘Dhurandhar’ se sabki jalti toh hai.” The audience laughed.
Also Read: ‘Congratulatory posts alag, jalti sabki hai’: Zakir Khan roasts film fraternity over ‘Dhurandhar 2’ success
Awards ceremony faces more scrutiny
Zakir’s jab is not the only controversial moment from the night. Another host took a swipe at actor Rajpal Yadav, referencing his financial troubles: “Dollar ka rate kitna bhi upar neeche ho jaaye apko paise utne hi vapas lautaane hain (No matter how much the dollar rate fluctuates, you have to return the same amount of money).”
The remark points to Yadav’s conviction in a cheque bounce case by the Delhi High Court. Murli Projects Pvt Ltd had accused him of defaulting on a loan repayment.
During recent hearings, the court confirmed that Yadav had taken the loan but had failed to repay it despite multiple opportunities.