Watch: “Mai Na Tumse, Na Tumhare Papa se Darta Hoon, Na…”, Dhruv Rathee Breaks Silence On Janhvi Kapoor Thumbnail Row
YouTuber says his ‘fake beauty’ video was misread online, clarifies it had no link to Janhvi Kapoor’s post on Bangladesh violence.
Political commentator and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has responded to the controversy surrounding a thumbnail from his recent video on cosmetic surgery, after social media users accused him of targeting actor Janhvi Kapoor. The backlash erupted when Rathee used a before-and-after image of Kapoor in the thumbnail of his video titled ‘The Fake Beauty of Bollywood Celebrities’, with many claiming it was a reaction to her Instagram post condemning violence against Hindus in Bangladesh.
As speculation grew across platforms, Rathee released a clarification video addressing what he described as a “misleading narrative” built purely on assumptions and timing. He began by reading out a viral post that triggered the outrage, which claimed that Rathee questioned Kapoor’s beauty soon after she spoke up for Bangladeshi Hindus.
Calling out the logic behind the accusations, Rathee said people were blindly believing online claims without thinking them through. He pointed out that his video, which runs over 30 minutes, was uploaded the same day Kapoor shared her post, making it unrealistic for the content to be created as a response. “God has given you a brain, why don’t you use it?” he remarked, questioning how such conclusions were being drawn.
Rathee also dismissed claims that he was criticising Kapoor for her stand on Bangladesh, noting that he himself had posted content supporting Bangladeshi Hindus. He said it made no sense for him to attack someone over an issue he had publicly addressed in the same spirit. “I say things directly. I’m not afraid of your father, and I’m not afraid of any Bollywood celebrity,” he said, firmly rejecting the accusations.
Clarifying the intent behind the video, Rathee stressed that it focused entirely on the impact of plastic surgery and beauty standards on society. He stated that Janhvi Kapoor was not questioned or criticised in the video itself and was only featured in the thumbnail because she is among the few Bollywood actors who have openly acknowledged undergoing cosmetic procedures. Addressing claims that he changed the thumbnail after receiving backlash, Rathee added that he routinely uses multiple thumbnails across his videos.
The controversy began soon after Kapoor posted a strong message on Instagram condemning the lynching of 27-year-old Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh. Describing the incident as “barbaric” and a “slaughter,” Kapoor urged people to confront extremism in all forms and not remain silent in the face of such violence. According to reports, Das was beaten, tied to a tree and set on fire by a mob over alleged blasphemy, with several arrests made in the case.
As of now, Janhvi Kapoor has not responded to the thumbnail controversy or Rathee’s clarification video.
