Is Harshvardhan Rane An Insecure Outsider?

Actor Harshvardhan Rane recently came under some heated castigation on the social media front- not that people have been targeting him head-on; but there has been a growing debate about his follow-up statements and reactions on social media. The negativity directed on him does not sound like an intended hate campaign; however, this completed the cycle of discussions about his attitude and insecurities.

From his breakthrough performance in Sanam Teri Kasam, Harshvardhan managed to carve out a loyal fan base in Bollywood, but he has recently been trending news after replying to an Instagram story, which slammed his recently released film, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat. The movie features Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa, who are both completely self-made and non-nepotistic actors, and has performed remarkably well at the box office.

The Controversy

This started when one random Instagram account posted a nasty statement regarding Harshvardhan’s film and said:

“Stop comparing your film with Saiyaara. Love has a standard, and your film is a complete disaster. Indian audiences deserve better.”

Harsh privately contacted the account with the message: “Sorry sir, will work harder. Sonam, Ahaan, and Saiyaara are better.”

Many took this as a humble and well-versed reply, while some have derisively called it passive-aggressive and childish for a public figure.

An Outsider Complex

Harsh had a few days back posted a video that urged fans to watch both Thamma and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, and said, “This Diwali, you supported films of two outsiders.” Me and Ayushmann Khurrana.

This did not stop netizens from accusing him of playing the outsider card and taking a potshot at “nepo kids” in a roundabout way. Many termed such comments as being from insecurity, rather than confidence, adding fuel to the age-old ongoing Bollywood debate regarding nepotism and self-made stars.

While Harshvardhan Rane may claim to have been representing self-made actors while standing for himself, the state of affairs makes him fly off on unanticipated controversy. Whether he was revealing insecurity or just that nagging frustration is open to debate, but his words have split the audience online.