After Ashwani Kashyap, popular as 'TikTok villain', murdered three people and killed himself, there has been a discussion on the impact of the movie Kabir Singh. The Shahid-Kapoor-starrer, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, got some unwarranted publicity as Kashyap would often post images of Shahid Kapoor from the film.
In one of his videos, he repeated one of Kabir Singh's dialogues: "Jo mera nahi ho sakta, usse kisi aur ka hone ka mauka nahi doonga." Kashyap was the main accused in three murders, including that of a woman who is believed to have turned down his romantic advances. He shot himself on a bus when he was cornered by police in Bijnore, Uttar Pradesh, according to reports.
Responding to the controversy, director Vanga said that his movies Kabir Singh and Arjun Reddy never endorsed murder. Speaking to Mid Day, he said: “I feel sorry for the girl and her family. It is unfortunate that people have lost their lives. As filmmakers, we are responsible for our craft and need to consider the repercussions, but never have my films [endorsed] killing anyone. Kabir Singh or even Arjun Reddy [the Telugu original] never [supported] murder.”
Kabir Singh had ignited a debate about romance and the toxicity in a relationship. While the film went on to become one of the biggest grossers of the year, it was also met with criticism for its hero-like portrayal of a flawed man. "The first responsibility that an actor has towards the audience is to give them an honest portrayal. I think that happens very rarely. Because of these kind of pressures, people are so careful that 'if I do this people will like me, if I do this people won't,” Shahid told media.
