Kriti Sanon dismisses criticism of Housefull 4 song 'Ek Chumma', says it's not disrespectful towards women

Kriti Sanon recently spoke in defence of her upcoming film Housefull 4's song 'Ek Chumma'. The song's video sees Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Riteish Deshmukh chase her, Pooja Hegde and Kriti Kharbanda for a kiss. The song has faced backlash for its regressive picturisation and sexist lyrics.

"How is it regressive? The boys are saying [those lines] to their partner, not to a stranger. If 'Ek Chumma' was disrespectful towards women, I would have spoken up," the actress told Mid-Day.

Kriti Sanon. Image from Twitter

She went on to say that no one discourages objectification of men in Bollywood films and cited the example of 'Tareefan' from Veere Di Wedding. She said that no one criticised how the male models in the song were treated like female models are. "How is it okay for a guy to be teased, but there's so much talk when a girl is being teased?" asked Sanon.

Sanon revealed that she has been careful about the tone of a scene or a song featuring her so that it does not offend anyone. She said she does not want to send a wrong message through a scene or a film.

Directed by Farhad Samji, Housefull 4 revolves around the theme of reincarnation and follows a non-linear narrative. Rana Daggubati will feature in a negative role. Kumar will be seen as Bala and Harry, Deshmukh will play Bangdu Maharaj and Roy while Deol's characters are called Dharamputra and Max. Sanon plays Rajkumari Madhu and Kriti; Hegde is Rajkumari Mala and Pooja; and Kharbanda portrays Rajkumari Meena and Neha.

Housefull 4 releases on 26 October alongside Saand Ki Aankh and Made in China. Sanon's other upcoming projects include Ashutosh Gowariker's period drama Panipat with Arjun Kapoor. She will also make a special appearance in Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Pandey-starrer Pati Patni Aur Woh, according to Hindustan Times.