Snehashish roy
At a high-profile wedding in Delhi on Monday, Shah Rukh Khan was asked by the bride to recite his iconic “Bolo Zubaan Kesari” line, a catchphrase he once delivered for a now-controversial commercial. Rather than oblige, he brushed it off with a joke, saying, “Mujhe ban karwa dogi?” (“You’ll get me banned too, will you?”), alluding to the past backlash his association with the ad had attracted.
In a video from the event that has since gone viral, the bride’s lighthearted request led to an awkward pause before SRK responded with his trademark wit. He went on to say, “Yeh gutkha-wale hain, yaar. Jaise do-teen baar kar lo, bas yaad nahi chhodte.” (“Those gutkha-people, you know. Do it a few times, and you never let it die.”) By referencing the controversy surrounding the pan-masala brand’s advert, he seemed to intentionally avoid repeating the line.
The incident left many on social media chuckling at the actor’s sharp comeback, and a few cringing at the remindful of what once stirred such uproar. Shadowed by the controversies tied to that advertisement, the request and its rejection acted as a reminder that some catchphrases of the past don’t sit lightly anymore.
Eyewitnesses at the wedding saw SRK dance and interact with the bride and other guests, but as soon as the familiar line was asked for, he gently pulled back. The shift in tone wasn’t lost on the attendees. Online, reactions ranged from admiration for his quick thinking to visible discomfort over the nostalgic, but controversial, slogan.
This isn’t the first time the superstar has navigated media and public expectations with humour and caution. His ability to handle awkward situations while keeping his flamboyant charm intact continues to resonate with fans. Still, the “Zubaan Kesari” snippet appears to have become a sore chord, some viewers treat it as an entertaining throwback, others view it as a tone-deaf reminder of past controversies.
Whether or not the bride’s request came from innocent admiration or as a nudge toward nostalgia, SRK’s reply stands as a subtle sign of changing times, one where an old ad slogan from a bygone era may no longer be just harmless fun.