The Internet likes to associate MP Shashi Tharoor with the embodiment of literature. With several memes that mock and praise Tharoor’s vocabulary at the same time, the references have casually crept inside Bollywood, too. During a recent episode of fashion Shark Tank, Pitch to Get Rich, Karan Johar compared a contestant to Tharoor himself.
The fashion entrepreneur talking about a CSR initiative was mocked by the “permanent angel” on Dharmatic Entertainment’s show. Karan Johar remarked, “Aapko kya kisi ne kaha hai ki aap Shashi Tharoor jaise baat karte aur dikhte hain? [Has anyone ever told you that you look and talk like Shashi Tharoor?]” This comment was received with laughs, while Bollywood actor, now angel investor, Malaika Arora agreed with Johar.
However, this was just a viral moment on the show. Reacting with a rather tongue-in-cheek comment, Tharoor took to X (formerly Twitter) and shared his thoughts. The Member of Parliament wrote, “Must say to Karan Johar and Malaika Arora that it’s clearly been too long since they’ve met me!!”
‘Only in Bollywood…’
The netizens seemed to be laughing at both the shocking comments. Rather unexpected from both filmmaker Karan Johar and Shashi Tharoor alike, the post quickly went viral.
Writing one of the comments, a user expressed,”Only in Bollywood could flamboyance be mistaken for fluency. Tharoor speaks in paragraphs; Karan speaks in promos and Malaika, as always, nods in style,” a fiery take on the entire situation. “Seedhe the Emperor of Suave se hee compare kar Diya uncle Ji ko. Good for him,” read another comment.
Taking a humorous turn, a user replied to Tharoor’s comment and wrote, “That’s very obvious way to ask Malaika and Karan out.” “What a polite sarcasm,” remarked another. Carrying the Tharoor stereotype tall, a netizen used their entire thesaurus and wrote, “A comparison so egregiously misplaced, it borders on lexical blasphemy.”
Others simply criticised Tharoor for engaging in the banter. Some even accused him of publicising the show and that Johar’s comment was a deliberate attempt to gain attention.
