'Made in jest’: Tamil actor Mansoor Ali Khan clarifies on 'bedroom' comment about Trisha after backlash from industry

A day after Tamil actor Mansoor Ali Khan found himself in the thick of controversy over his controversial remark towards Leo co-star Trisha, he issued a clarification, asserting his words were misrepresented.

Mansoor’s clarification comes after he made obscene remarks, lamenting the lack of a "bedroom scene" with Trisha and claiming to have conducted countless "rape scenes" in the past.

The incident sparked off a significant backlash from the film fraternity and transcended into an all-out controversy. Prominent film personalities, including Leo director Lokesh Kanagaraj and singer Chinmayi Sripada, also condemned Mansoor's comment.

"A recent video has come to my notice where Mr.Mansoor Ali Khan has spoken about me in a vile and disgusting manner.I strongly condemn this and find it sexist,disrespectful,misogynistic,repulsive and in bad taste.He can keep wishing but I am grateful never to have shared screen space with someone as pathetic as him and I will make sure it never happens for the rest of my film career as well. People like him bring a bad name to mankind," said Trisha on X platform.

Soon, director Lokesh Kanagaraja also slammed the "misogynistic comments".

"Disheartened and enraged to hear the misogynistic comments made by Mr.Mansoor Ali Khan, given that we all worked in the same team. Respect for women, fellow artists and professionals should be a non-negotiable in any industry and I absolutely condemn this behaviour," he said.

In his clarification, Khan insisted that his words were taken out of context and did not intend to offend or disrespect Trisha. He urged his fans and the public not to misconstrue his statement while underscoring his enduring respect for his co-star.

"Ah.. My kids informed me that they had heard on the news that I had mistreated Trisha in the press meet. To be honest, I complimented her at that press conference. In the Leo movie, Trisha is treated similarly to how Hanuman moved the mountain Chiranjeevi. I made the comment in jest. Some have purposefully sliced it and presented it to Trisha in an alternative format," Mansoor said in a statement.

"I am not the kind of person who is afraid of all this fuss. Today, politicians in prominent positions are among the heroines who have collaborated with me. Several of the heroines settled down and married wealthy businessmen.

"My daughter Dil Rupa is a huge fan of yours. I also have two more daughters. They want to get married. I have to support that. Those who have acted with me know very well how I respect women. Some people have angered Trisha by misrepresenting this. There is much work to be done in the world. So focus on your work. Thank you!"

"This is disgusting on so many levels. It’s shameful enough that this is how this man views women & thinks about them, but then to have the guts(!!) to speak about it this openly & unapologetically, not even worried about repercussions?? Shame on you. Despicable beyond belief," said actress Malavika Mohanan on X platform.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member and National Commission for Women (NCW) representative, Khushbu Sundar, on Sunday took a firm stand against actor Mansoor Ali Khan over his purported derogatory remarks about fellow actor Trisha Krishnan, in a video clip. Sundar, who unequivocally denounced such behaviour, pledged that she would relentlessly strive to hold the accused accountable for their actions.

"As a member of NCW, I have already taken up the issue of Mansoor Ali Khan with my senior and will be taking an action on it. Nobody can get away with such a filthy mind. I stand with @trishtrashers and my other colleagues where this man speaks in such a sexist disgusting mindset about them, including me," Khushbu posted on X (formerly Twitter). "When we are fighting tooth and nail to protect women and bring dignity to them, such men are like a bot in our society," the BJP leader said in his post.

Trisha and Mansoor Ali Khan recently attracted significant attention for their roles in Lokesh Kanagaraj's latest movie, 'Leo'. However, they were not seen sharing screen space together in the film, but their characters were integral and impactful. In a surprising development, a video of Khan from a recent interview has gone viral on social media, and it's causing a stir. In the clip, Khan can allegedly be heard making some extremely disrespectful comments about his co-star, Trisha.

Trisha took to X and responded to the video saying, "A recent video has come to my notice where Mr Mansoor Ali Khan has spoken about me in a vile and disgusting manner. I strongly condemn this and find it sexist, disrespectful, misogynistic, repulsive and in bad taste. He can keep wishing but I am grateful never to have shared screen space with someone as pathetic as him and I will make sure it never happens for the rest of my film career as well. People like him bring a bad name to mankind." Reportedly, in the video, Mansoor said in his regional language, "When I heard that I was acting with Trisha, I thought there would be a bedroom scene in the film. I thought that I could carry her to the bedroom just like I did with other actresses in my earlier movies. I have done so many rape scenes in a number of movies and it's not new to me. But these guys didn't even show Trisha to me on the sets during the Kashmir schedule."

Leo, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, also starred Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Sarja. After the 2021 smash Master, Vijay and Kanagaraj reunited in Leo.

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