“I Have No PR Team”: Yami Gautam Reacts To “Liking” Viral Reel Dissing Kriti Sanon
Yami Gautam has broken her silence on liking a video that appeared to take a dig at Kriti Sanon after her win for ‘Tere Ishk Mein’ at an award show.
Bollywood actress Yami Gautam has addressed the controversy surrounding a viral social media post that appeared to take a dig at fellow actress Kriti Sanon – a reel she had seemingly ‘liked’ online. The post gained traction over the past few days, prompting the ‘Haq’ actress to clarify her stance publicly. The reel juxtaposed Kriti Sanon receiving the Best Actress award at the Zee Cine Awards for ‘Tere Ishk Mein’ with an older clip of Yami speaking about how she no longer seeks validation from awards. The clip had been liked from Yami’s account, sparking speculation online.
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Breaking her silence, Yami Gautam issued a clarification on social media, explaining that the action was unintentional.
She wrote, “It has come to my notice that I apparently ‘liked’ a reel that is condescending toward another actor. We get tagged in multiple things every day, and this appeared during an award-function reference like any other tag. It isn’t true and was definitely not done consciously; if anything, it may have been clicked accidentally.”
The actress further emphasised that she prefers to stay away from publicity stunts and focus on her work. “Never in my life have I resorted to cheap PR tactics. I have always focused on my work and moved on. In the world of clickbait, it’s tempting for even dignified social media portals to harp on this and turn it into coffee-table gossip. But I would hope they would consider that I have earned a better reputation than that,” she added.
Yami Gautam also clarified that she operates without a PR team and reiterated her previously expressed views on award shows. “I have no PR team, have respectfully cleared my stance on entertainment award shows long ago, and remain focused on my work,” she wrote.
The controversy emerged after Kriti Sanon won the Best Actress award at the Zee Cine Awards for her performance in ‘Tere Ishk Mein’. The viral reel that triggered the debate showed Kriti celebrating her win, intercut with an earlier interview clip of Yami discussing awards and validation. In the clip, Yami says, “You try everything, and it still doesn’t work. So, I’ve stopped seeking any kind of validation. If I get that award, then I am a good actress, and otherwise, I’m not. Nothing like that.”
The video concluded with the question, “Is it fair?” The reel quickly fuelled online discussions, with some social media users arguing that Yami Gautam deserved the honour for her critically acclaimed performance in ‘Haq’. The film, inspired by the Shah Bano case and directed by Suparn Verma, featured Yami alongside Emraan Hashmi and received praise for its powerful narrative.
Meanwhile, Kriti Sanon’s ‘Tere Ishk Mein’ – directed by Aanand L Rai and co-starring Dhanush –performed well commercially. The film is considered a spiritual successor to ‘Raanjhaana’ and marked another significant project in Kriti’s career.
