‘How dare she…’: Karan Johar slams Dyer’s granddaughter’s ‘looter’ remark on Jallianwala victims

Filmmaker Karan Johar has strongly criticised General Dyer’s granddaughter, Caroline Dyer, for her controversial remarks on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The comments surfaced in a recent video where she appeared alongside a victim’s family member and referred to one of the massacre victims as a “looter.” Her remarks have since sparked a wave of public outrage.

Karan Johar calls her statement “ridiculous”

At a press event for the upcoming historical drama 'Kesari Chapter 2,' Johar did not hold back when asked about the viral video. “Not just as an Indian or as a humanitarian, but anyone who has an iota of empathy or humanity within themselves, it will anger you,” he said, reacting to the clip.

He further condemned her words, saying: “I don't want to mince my words, be diplomatic in my answer or certainly beat around the bush when I say, how ridiculous she is to say that and how dare she? She was calling those thousands of people looters? They were innocent people who conglomerated right there for what was meant to be the auspicious day of Baisakhi, thinking something else was going to be the eventuality of the day and look what happened.”

Referencing historical facts, Johar pointed out that General Dyer had himself admitted to stopping the firing only after the bullets ran out. “And she went on to say in that interview that he loved India and all kinds of things about how he had the greatest compassion. What love can you have in your heart when your actions only spoke of hate? The fact that she is in a la la land of her own and in some delusion, I don't know her or met her, and I don't wish to meet her,” he stated.

He added, “The fact that she has even said those things, makes me so angry on a humanitarian level. Khoon khaulta hai jab maine wo video dekha with the fact that she has such disdain for one of the biggest genocides in the history of our nation and the world. The fact that she was disdainful of it makes me just angry and want and demand an apology even more.”

The original video that sparked outrage

The controversy stems from a video interview in which General Dyer’s granddaughter attempted to soften his image, calling him “an honourable individual admired by many Indians.” She further highlighted his command over several Indian dialects. In a tense exchange with a massacre victim’s relative, she asked, “Was he a looter?” and remarked that “history is history” and should be accepted as such.

Akshay Kumar reacts, shares personal connection

Actor Akshay Kumar, who plays lawyer C. Sankaran Nair in Kesari Chapter 2, also weighed in on the issue, saying, “What’s a nation’s sorrow is often another’s history lesson.” Kumar revealed that his own grandfather had witnessed the massacre, and stories about it had been passed down through his family. For him, portraying Nair—who legally challenged the British Crown’s silence over Dyer’s actions—is both a tribute and a personal journey.

The film, which also stars Ananya Panday and R. Madhavan, is scheduled for theatrical release on April 18.