Paresh Rawal regrets angry tweets, targeting critic’s Dhurandhar review: ‘My BP shot up’ | Bollywood News

5 min readMumbaiJul 16, 2026 11:37 AM Paresh Rawal has, in recent years, often made headlines as much for his outspoken social media posts as for his performances. The veteran actor, widely regarded as one of the finest performers in Indian cinema, has frequently found himself at the centre of online controversies because of his blunt opinions and sharp remarks. In a recent conversation with Vickey Lalwani, he reflected on his temper, admitted that he regrets being excessively vocal on Twitter, and revealed that his activity on the platform even took a toll on his health.
Hitting a member of the audience
Speaking about his personality, Paresh said, “Look, I have nothing to gain from anyone. I don’t want to bring anyone down. I’m not driven greed. Whatever I have, I already feel God has given me more than enough. So I have no greed. Why would I do something like that to someone? That’s why I’m straightforward and honest with everyone.”
The actor also looked back at an incident where he admitted to hitting a member of the audience during a performance, calling his own actions “idiotic.” “As for that incident where I talked about hitting someone… what happened was that they were passing remarks. There were comment after comment, even from other actors. It turned into banter, and then I got carried away. It was idiotic. I jumped into it. I was completely wrong. It happened, but I’ll never repeat it. I regret it. I really do. An art should have control over themselves and over the circumstances.”
‘Too much negativity and toxicity’
Paresh also addressed his controversial presence on Twitter, including the much-debated post he had made about author Arundhati Roy. Looking back at it, the actor admitted he should never have posted it. “Yes, I wrote it. I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have said that.”
He further explained why he has almost stopped using the platform altogether. “I’ve almost stopped using Twitter now because it was harming my health very badly. In fact, my blood pressure shot up. My doctor clearly told me: don’t watch news channels before going to bed, and don’t read newspapers until noon after waking up. If there’s any important news you need to know, it’ll find its way to you. You don’t have to sit there and make yourself hyper over everything.”
Reflecting on the nature of social media, Paresh acknowledged that he, too, contributed to its toxicity. “Many people treat social media like their personal dumping grounds, and I’m equally responsible for that. People write whatever comes to their mind because they have a platform. Nobody lens, so you just type it out. I never abuse people. My sarcasm is sharp enough. I won’t stoop to using foul language. But even that sarcasm, I shouldn’t have indulged in it. There’s too much negativity and toxicity there.”
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On his tweet targeting Anupama Chopra
Paresh was also asked about the controversy surrounding his tweet directed at film critic Anupama Chopra last year after her review of Dhurandhar. The post, in which he referred to her as “Miss Irrelevant”, sparked widespread criticism online. Looking back at it, the actor admitted he regretted posting it. “Yeah, that was unwanted. I should not have done it.”
However, he stood the sentiment behind his criticism, saying he believed the film deserved a constructive  discussion. “I felt that Dhurandhar was a well-made film. Some people will like it, others won’t, that’s perfectly fine. But then write about it. Offer constructive criticism. That’s how it should be. Not the other way around. That’s what I felt was wrong.”
Explaining why he had referred to Chopra as “Miss Irrelevant”, Paresh said: “Yes, but the truth is, nobody really lens to what you’re saying. You can write whatever you want, and it hardly changes anything. Instead, it turns into a bandwagon. Fine, they’re doing their job, that’s okay.”
When asked about the abusive comments and threats that Chopra reportedly received after his tweet went viral, Paresh condemned such behaviour. “That’s wrong. You can’t treat someone like that. She’s a lady, you know. She’s an educated, cultured woman. She’s Vikram Chandra’s ser, for God’s sake.” He also spoke about Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Anupama’s grace after the incident, and how they called and spoke to his son Aditya Rawal’s work.
Paresh Rawal was last seen in Bhoot Bangla.