Sonali Kulkarni apologises after calling Indian women 'lazy'

• Celebrities such as Urofi Javed and Sona Mohapatra took to social media to object to Kulkarni
• In her defence, Kulkarni issued a statement on Insta and thanked everyone who reached out to her and took appreciation and criticism with open arms
• She said that she has learned a lot from this incident and hopes to have a more open exchange of thoughts

Indian actress Sonali Kulkarni, best known for her role in Aamir Khan's Dil Chahta Hai, claimed in an interview that Indian women are lazy and want rich husbands they can rely on for the rest of their lives. Her statement became a topic of discussion on social media, with some supporting her for speaking the "unspoken truth" while others opposed it. Kulkarni later issued a statement that it was not her intention to harm other women.

Soon after, celebrities like Urofi Javed and Sona Mohapatra took to social media to protest against Kulkarni.

Calling her statement "insensitive", Javed wrote: "How insensitive, whatever you said! Do you call modern women lazy when they handle work and housework together? What's wrong with wanting a husband who earns well? For centuries, men saw women only as child automatons and yes, the main reason for marriage – a dowry. Ladies don't be afraid to ask or demand. Yes, you are right, women should work, but that is a privilege that not everyone gets. You have too much right to see that.”

In her defence, Kulkarni released a statement on Instagram, thanking everyone who reached out to her and accepting accolades and criticism with open arms. On the work front, the 48-year-old actress is known for films like Ajay Devgn's Singham, and Mission Kashmir opposite Hrithik Roshan, among others.

She was last seen in the 2021 series Whistleblowers, released on SonyLiv.