Actor Khaqan Shahnawaz recently sparked a wave of outrage after claiming he could play Indian actress Kareena Kapoor’s son, not her lover, in a drama due to her age. This comment, made during an appearance on Geo TV’s Hasna Mana Hai with Tabish Hashmi on December 14, has drawn severe backlash from Kapoor’s fans across both India and Pakistan.
The controversy began when an audience member suggested Shahnawaz should collaborate with Kapoor. He responded by saying he could play her son because she was “quite old.” This unsolicited remark, deemed as ageist by many, was widely criticized.
Many fans, particularly from India and Pakistan, were quick to point out the inappropriateness of his comment. Some pointed out that Shahnawaz, in comparison to Kapoor’s stardom, was virtually unknown. One user remarked, “Bro thinks he cracked a funny joke, you don’t exist for her,” while another noted that they had never heard of Shahnawaz despite being from Pakistan.
Some users even suggested that Shahnawaz might have mentioned Kapoor to ride on her fame. One person accused him of seeking publicity by using her name, while others emphasized that everyone ages and warned him about his own future. A fan of Kapoor praised her, stating, “Age is just a number, and Kareena has beautifully proven it.”
Despite the backlash, there were a few people who agreed with Shahnawaz’s comment, though their views were in the minority. Some even defended his observation that Kapoor had indeed aged, although this didn’t excuse the tone or context of his remark.
Ultimately, the incident united both Indian and Pakistani social media users, with many Pakistanis giving Shahnawaz a “reality check.” However, the ageist undertone of his comment remains clear. With Kapoor being 44 years old and Shahnawaz only 27, the suggestion that he could play her son raises further questions. If they were to portray a mother-son duo, it might have to be a storyline involving teen pregnancy—but it’s safe to say that Kapoor will likely have little interest in collaborating with Shahnawaz in the near future.
