GABRIELLA DEMETRIADES DEFENDS ARJUN RAMPAL
- Arpita Nayak
- 4 hours ago
- 1 min read
South African model Gabriella Demetriades strongly defended her partner, actor Arjun Rampal, after author Shobhaa De criticised his recent “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” remark. Reacting to De’s column, Demetriades wrote, “This is outrageous,” expressing her disapproval of the criticism.
Rampal has been in the spotlight for his role as Major Iqbal in Dhurandhar: The Revenge, the sequel to Aditya Dhar’s 2025 blockbuster. At the HELLO! Hall of Fame Awards, he spoke about the emotional intensity of portraying the character before concluding his speech with “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” a statement that sparked debate after De questioned its implications for Bollywood audiences in an article.
Addressing the role, Rampal also opened up about the personal experiences that shaped his performance, recalling the trauma of witnessing the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on his birthday. Rampal described being deeply affected, saying he felt physically ill and had to pause several times on his journey home.
Demetriades praised the film as her favourite Hindi film so far, highlighting Rampal’s growth and the performances of the entire cast. The film’s success reflects its popularity, having crossed the ₹1,000 crore mark globally.
