‘Strong women lift each other up’: Did Bipasha Basu send out a straight message to Mrunal Thakur?

Mrunal Thakur has recently been in the news not just for her stellar work, but also for some rather unwanted reasons—be it dating rumours with actor Dhanush or an old interview clip currently making the rounds on the internet, in which she is presumed to be ‘mocking’ actor Bipasha Basu.

While the actor’s comments seemed to have left netizens divided, what’s now garnering even more attention is Bipasha’s presumed sassy clapback at her industry junior.

Here’s a look at the chain of events

A throwback video from actor Mrunal Thakur's television days on Kumkum Bhagya recently went viral, stirring quite a buzz online. The clip features an old interview with her co-star Arjit Taneja, where the duo discusses fitness and preferences in women.

During the conversation, as Arjit shares the kind of women he is attracted to, Mrunal quips, "What, you like manly women or what, with muscles?" She then jokingly adds, "Go marry Bipasha," and follows it up with, "I'm much better than Bipasha."

The resurfaced video didn’t sit well with many netizens, who criticized Mrunal for her comments, viewing them as disrespectful toward Bipasha Basu.

In what appears to be a subtle response, Bipasha has seemingly addressed the controversy through a cryptic Instagram story. Without naming anyone directly, the Dhoom 2 star shared a powerful message:

“Strong women lift each other up. Get those muscles beautiful ladies… we should be strong… muscles help you attain good physical and mental health forever! Bust the age-old thought process that women should not look strong or be physically strong!"

The Aftermath

While a few called out Mrunal for allegedly ‘body shaming’ a fellow actor, a user on X quipped, "When she said manly with muscles, I imagined a steroided-up bodybuilder. How is Bipasha manly at all?" The reactions suggest that Mrunal’s comments from years ago are definitely not sitting well with the public—especially at a time when there is growing discourse around body positivity and self-confidence.

The debate continues, as this latest episode adds to the list of heated exchanges between actors on the internet—at a time when every comment made by those in any position of influence is closely scrutinized.

Tweets and hashtags continue to roll in as netizens move swiftly from one topic to another, fueling ongoing battles online.