Ishaan Khatter, who was most recently seen in Mira Nair’s BBC One miniseries A Suitable Boy (2020), is presently gearing up for the digital premiere of his upcoming film Khaali Peeli. The film, which also stars Ananya Panday in the lead role, marks the directorial debut of Maqbool Khan while successful filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar makes his debut as a producer.
Recently, the makers dropped a song called ‘Beyonce Sharma Jayegi’ from the film. The lyrics of the song did not go down well with a lot of people and they were quick to troll the makers for the undertones of racism in the lyrics. The constant trolling and flak led the makers to change the title of the song twice. While the original title was ‘Beyonce Sharma Jayegi’, the new title is ‘Goriya Sharma Jayegi’. ‘Goriya’ means fair-skinned in Hindi, which many people think is still a racist term to be used in a song.
Reacting to the criticism, Ishaan Khatter says in an interview, “The word ‘gori’ has been taken out of context, as I understand it. I have asked a lot of questions to people from rural areas, who have clarified that ‘gori’ has been used in multiple songs, for ages, as just referencing a girl. Like you’d say ‘launda’ or ‘chhora’, you also say ‘gori’, and that is the context in which it was used.”
He goes on to add, “It was never meant to be about the complexion, let alone race. As for Beyonce, for this ‘tapori’ character, his biggest reference for somebody beautiful, and stylish, and iconic is Beyonce. If anything, it is flattering. That is why he goes so far as even to compare this girl he is trying to woo to Beyonce because he is trying to flatter her.”
The controversial song has been composed by the music composer duo Vishal-Shekhar and sung by Nakash Aziz and Neeti Mohan. Lyrics have been penned by Kumaar and Raj Shekhar.
Khaali Peeli is scheduled to premiere on 2nd October on ZEE Plex.
The singer jokingly texted Clairo saying, "Let's f**k her up," sparking an online frenzy
Why Charli XCX jokingly declared war on Peppa Pig after one viral comment
Highlights
What started as a playful celebrity game has turned into one of the internet's most unexpected viral moments, with Charli XCX jokingly threatening to "f**k up" Peppa Pig after the beloved cartoon character appeared to dismiss singer Clairo.
The exchange quickly spread across social media, drawing reactions from fans and fellow musicians, while turning an unlikely clash between a pop star and a fictional children's character into a trending talking point.
Peppa Pig's viral remark sparked the joke
The playful exchange began during Peppa Pig's appearance in Pitchfork's Over/Under game, where the animated character rated a selection of music artists.
While expressing admiration for acts including PinkPantheress and The Beatles, Peppa responded to Clairo by saying, "I don't know her," a line widely recognised as a reference to Mariah Carey's famous response when asked about Jennifer Lopez.
The remark, accompanied by a knowing glance at the camera, quickly gained traction online.
Charli XCX rushed to Clairo's defence
After seeing the clip, Charli XCX privately messaged Clairo, writing, "Let's f**k her up," alongside a screenshot of the viral post.
Clairo later shared the exchange on social media, prompting thousands of reactions from fans, many of whom responded with pig and bacon-themed jokes.
PinkPantheress, whom Peppa had praised in the original video, also joined the conversation, posting a message supporting Clairo.
As the exchange continued, Clairo responded to the growing attention with humour, replying to posts before eventually telling followers, "ok that's enoughhhhh lolllllllllll."
Some fans joked that the viral moment was the perfect opportunity for the singer to announce new music, though Clairo replied that she did not have anything ready to share.
Her most recent album, Charm, was released in 2024, with its accompanying tour concluding in 2025.
Charli XCX keeps her focus on new music
While the online joke continued to gather momentum, Charli XCX did not publicly add to the exchange.
Instead, the singer has been focusing on promoting her upcoming album, Music, Fashion, Film, which is scheduled for release on July 24.
Although fans speculated that one of the track titles could be a playful nod to the viral exchange, there has been no indication that the album references the light-hearted social media moment.