New Delhi: Days after a controversy sparked by Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed’s comments on India’s Test and ODI cricket captain Rohit Sharma, another party leader, Tika Ram Jully, has found himself at the centre of a new uproar over his remarks about actress Madhuri Dixit.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, Jully referred to Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit as a “second-grade actor” and stated that “her prime has gone”. His made these comments during a discussion in the Rajasthan Assembly.
The Congress leader questioned the benefits of the recently held IIFA event for the state and also scrutinised the government’s expenditure.
He slammed the state government for allocating over Rs 100 crore towards the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards event, which was hosted in Jaipur on March 8 and 9. He raised concerns over the lack of major Bollywood stars at the event, questioning the event’s worth for the state.
Reacting to a BJP legislator’s mention of Madhuri Dixit’s presence at the IIFA Awards, Jully reportedly referred to the Bollywood actress as a “Grade II actress”.
“Only Shah Rukh Khan was among the first-grade actors,” he said, referring to the IIFA 2025 guest list.
Jully’s comments came just days after Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed stirred controversy with her remarks about Rohit Sharma.
Mohamed had referred to Rohit as “overweight” and “the most unimpressive captain India has ever had” in a now-deleted post on her X account. “Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight! And of course, the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had,” she wrote.
In response, the Congress distanced itself from Mohamed’s comments, stating that they did not reflect the party’s stance and requesting her to delete the post.
Now, Jully has embarrassed the party. He not only flayed the Rajasthan government for “spending taxpayer money on an event that, in his view, failed to benefit the state”.
“More than Rs 100 crore given for IIFA event. No major Bollywood stars were present. Some cite Madhuri Dixit’s presence. Madhuri second-grade actor these days… her prime has gone. She was a star in the times of her movies like ‘Dil’ and ‘Beta’,” Jully remarked.
Jully continued: “Which big name from the industry appeared? Apart from Shah Rukh Khan, all others were second-grade stars. No other first-grade actor came.”
As members of the Assembly objected to his remarks, Jully stood by his comments.
“Now, Madhuri Dixit is a second-grade star, her prime has gone. She was a star in the times of her movies like ‘Dil’ and ‘Beta’,” he reiterated.
Later, speaking to the media, Jully sought to clarify his statement, stating: “Except for Shah Rukh Khan, no other big actor attended IIFA. What message do you want to convey by inviting just 5-7 actors? There are categories of actors based on their popularity.”
He added: “The actors who are currently popular did not attend. There is no doubt that Madhuri Dixit is a good actor, but the time when she was at the peak of her popularity has passed.”
(IANS)
