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

Actor Mrunal Thakur has apologised for not being mindful of her words, days after a resurfaced video from her old interviews showed her making comments on Bipasha Basu’s appearance.

Thakur, who most recently appeared alongside Ajay Devgn in “Son of Sardaar 2”, penned a note on her Instagram story on Thursday. Without mentioning any name, the actor said she should have been more mindful of her words.

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.

Recently, an old clip began doing the rounds on social media. It showed Thakur alongside her “Kumkum Bhagya” co-star Arjit Taneja. In the resurfaced interview, Taneja teased her to do a headstand, to which she jokingly replied that he could sit while she balanced on her head. He then asked her to do push-ups.

In response, Thakur claimed he might be interested in marrying a muscular woman and gave example of Bipasha Basu.

“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.