Exclusive - Bigg Boss OTT 3: Abhilash Thapliyal defends Ranvir Shorey against social media upstarts; says 'It is just out rightly shameful'

In a recent tweet, Abhilash Thapliyal voiced his dismay over how certain contestants on Bigg Boss OTT season 3 seemingly questioned the credentials of Ranvir Shorey, a seasoned actor with over two decades of experience in Bollywood. Thapliyal expressed his disappointment towards what he described as ‘social media sensations’ who rapidly gained fame but appeared ignorant of Shorey's significant contributions to the industry.
"It’s so sad to see these random people on Bigg Boss asking Ranvir Shorey, who he is and what he has done," Thapliyal tweeted, accompanied by a heart emoticon. He further emphasized, "The same question should be asked to these 'social media sensations', and let’s see how gracefully they answer."
When ETimes TV got in touch with Abhilash to know more on the topic, he shared, "It is just outrightly shameful that people are asking Ranvir Shorey who he is and what he has done. Usually influencers, you know, and social media stars, they aspire to be actors and most of them do. You know, even their bios change after a while and they start calling themselves actors. So if you are from the entertainment industry or if you aspire to become a part of the entertainment industry and you don't know who Ranvir Shorey is, it's just shameful. I also know why they're asking such questions because they want to massage their own egos, but how gracefully he handled them and how he answered the questions, it is amazing. I'm sure had he asked the same question to these upstarts, it would've been very interesting to see how they would react."
On being asked about his reaction on seeing these social media influencers misbehaving with elders and veterans for small/petty things inside Bigg Boss house, he said, "That's exactly what they were doing outside. They were fighting with people. They are abusing people. They were toxic people outside. And how do you expect them to do something different in front of the camera? I'm sure it will be, the reactions will be more accentuated, more tailor made. They must have planned what they're going to do inside. And Bigg Boss has been this house from the very start where toxicity is at its peak. But we really need to question the kind of people we are celebrating, who we are calling celebrities, because that really questions our values and our society's value system.
Abhilash Thapliyal's support for Ranvir Shorey underscores the need for a balanced appreciation of talent and experience in the entertainment industry. As discussions around celebrity and fame continue to evolve, Thapliyal's commentary serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of respecting actors' contributions beyond their social media footprint.