Kiara Advani Faces Backlash For Giving Shoutout To Choreographer Jani Master Amid POCSO Row
Kiara Advani and Ram Charan’s highly anticipated pan-India film Game Changer continues to make waves, especially with the recent release of the song “Dhop.” The track has generated mixed reactions from fans and critics alike, with many expressing confusion over the film’s direction. However, it’s the actress Kiara Advani’s recent social media post that has sparked significant controversy.
Advani shared a throwback video on Instagram showing her practising the dance moves for “Dhop.” In her post, she expressed gratitude to various people, including choreographer Jani Master, for helping bring the song’s vision to life. “I remember seeing @alwaysjani masters choreography and thinking how are we going to do this, but that’s the beauty of our job, always learning something new,” she wrote. While Kiara’s acknowledgement of Jani Master’s work seemed innocuous at first, it quickly attracted backlash due to the choreographer’s involvement in a serious legal issue.
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Jani Master is currently embroiled in a POCSO case after being accused of raping and mentally harassing a 16-year-old former female employee in September. Although he was granted bail in October, the case has caused significant public outrage. Adding to the controversy, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting suspended the National Film Award that Jani Master had won for his choreography in the Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam in 2022, following the uproar over his release on bail.
Kiara’s decision to thank him has led to a storm of critical comments on social media, with users calling it “tone-deaf” and accusing her of lacking morals. Some commenters pointed out that even after the controversy surrounding Jani Master, stars like Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, and Keerthy Suresh continue to work with him. These names have also been linked to his recent choreographic work, such as Stree 2, Aayi Nai from Stree 2, and Nain Matakka from Baby John.
The fallout has raised questions about the accountability of stars in such situations, with some defending Kiara, arguing that celebrities don’t wield enough power to enact change, especially when legal systems have not taken stronger action. A comment summed up the sentiment: “When the law itself hasn’t punished him and let him go, what should these people do?” Despite differing views on the matter, the controversy over Kiara Advani’s support for Jani Master highlights the complex relationship between celebrities and the ethical issues surrounding those they choose to work with.
