A months-old video praising B. R. Ambedkar resurfaced, putting Rakesh Bedi at the centre of an unexpected controversy. The actor said he used the term unknowingly and apologised.
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Rakesh Bedi and the ‘Harijan’ remark: Rakesh Bedi has been trending for his role as Jameel Jamali in ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ directed by Aditya Dhar. His character grabbed attention for multiple reasons: memes, witty social media banter, and especially the viral line “Bacha hai tu mera…”. Fans were also busy discussing the shocking plot twist revealing his character as an Indian agent operating inside Pakistan.
Just when conversations were peaking, an old video interview resurfaced online. That clip changed the mood instantly. The video caught the attention of Kailash Jaiswar, Mumbai State President of the Azad Samaj Party, who criticised Bedi for using the word “Harijan,” a term now considered inappropriate and officially discouraged in India.
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Kailash Jaiswar shared the video publicly and raised objections. He pointed out that the word is no longer acceptable and urged the actor to apologise.
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कैलाश जैसवार ने फिल्म अभिनेता व धुरंधर फिल्म के जमील जमाली “राकेश बेदी” से माफी मंगवाईं. अभिनेता द्वारा दिए गए आपत्तिजनक बयान – डॉ. बाबासाहेब आंबेडकर जी ‘हरिजनों’ के लिए लड़ाई लड़ते रहे, इस बयान पर मैंने राकेश बेदी से विडियो संदेश के जरिए माफी मंगवाईं।@AzadSamajParty मुंबई pic.twitter.com/obxYiB92ql
— Kailash Jaiswar (@kailashJai_ASP) April 5, 2026
According to Jaiswar, he also spoke directly to Bedi and requested him to address the issue publicly.
The backlash grew quickly. People debated whether the comment was offensive or simply outdated language used unknowingly.
Soon after the criticism, Rakesh Bedi released video message. In the statement, he explained that he had made the remark months earlier while praising the contributions of BR Ambedkar.
He said, “Namaskar friends, I am Rakesh Bedi. A few months ago, I posted a video in which I said that in our country, Bhim Rao Ambedkar ji worked a lot for Dalits, for Harijans and for people of backward society. He worked very hard for their upliftment.”
Bedi clarified that he recently learned the term is prohibited and stressed that he had no intention of hurting anyone. He added that his words were spoken with good intentions. He also apologised to anyone who felt offended and said he was unaware that the term was inappropriate.
“I did not say it on purpose. I did not know that it was prohibited,” he said.
Even as the apology circulated, the buzz around ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ remained strong. The film marks the return of Ranveer Singh as Hamza Ali Mazari, also known as Jaskirat Singh Rangi.
The story follows his dramatic entry into Karachi, where he aims to become the King of Lyari while dismantling terrorism networks targeting India.
The high-octane espionage drama also stars R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, Arjun Rampal, and Rakesh Bedi in key roles.
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