My intent was never to body-shame anyone: Mrunal Thakur apologises to Bipasha Basu

Days after a video of her remarks against Bipasha Basu’s appearance from one of her previous interviews leaked, actor Mrunal Thakur apologized for not being more careful with her words. On Thursday, Thakur, who most recently costarred with Ajay Devgn in “Son of Sardaar 2,” sent a message on her Instagram story. The actor claimed she should have been more careful about what she said, but she did not name anyone.

The 33-year-old actor added she wished she had chosen her words differently. “19-year-old me as a teenager said many silly things. I didn’t always understand the weight of my voice or how much words, even in jest, could hurt. But it did and for that I am deeply sorry,” she wrote.

“My intent was never to body-shame anyone. It was playful banter in an interview that went too far. But I understand how it came across, and I truly wish I had chosen my words differently…With time, I have grown to appreciate that beauty comes in every form, and that’s something I truly value now,” she added.

An old video recently started making the rounds on social media. Thakur and her “Kumkum Bhagya” co-star Arjit Taneja were featured. She joked that he could sit as she balanced on her head when Taneja challenged her to a headstand in the unearthed interview. Then he had her perform push-ups.

In answer, Thakur mentioned Bipasha Basu as an example and stated that he might be interested in marrying a woman with muscle.

“Do you want to marry a girl who is manly with muscles? Go marry Bipasha…Listen, I am far better than Bipasha, okay,” she said.

Following, Basu shared a cryptic post on her Instagram story, which read, “Strong women lift each other up. Get those muscles, beautiful ladies… we should be strong… muscles help you attain good physical and mental health forever! Bust the age-old thought process that women should not look strong or be physically strong.”

Thakur’s latest film, “Son of Sardaar 2” released on August 1 and is currently running in theatres.

Basu didn’t feature in any project after appearing in 2020’s series “Dangerous”, alongside her husband Karan Singh Grover.