Yami Gautam clarifies ‘accidental’ like on video criticizing Kriti Sanon’s award win

Yami Gautam has addressed online speculation after social media users noticed that she had “liked” a video appearing to criticize Kriti Sanon’s Best Actress win at the Zee Cine Awards.

Taking to X on Thursday, the actor clarified that the interaction was not intentional and may have happened by mistake. She explained that celebrities are often tagged in numerous posts daily, which can sometimes lead to accidental clicks.

“It has come to my notice that I apparently ‘liked’ a reel that is condescending toward another actor,” Gautam wrote. “We get tagged in multiple things every day, and this appeared during an award function reference like any other tag. It isn’t true and was definitely not done consciously; if anything, it may have been clicked accidentally.”

Gautam also pushed back against suggestions that the action was part of a publicity strategy, saying she has never engaged in what she called “cheap PR tactics.”

“Never in my life have I resorted to cheap PR tactics. I have always focused on my work and moved on. In the world of clickbait, it’s tempting for even dignified social media portals to harp on this and turn it into coffee-table gossip. But I would hope they would consider that I have earned a better reputation than that,” she added.

The controversy began after Kriti Sanon received the Best Actress award for her performance in Tere Ishk Mein. Shortly afterward, a video circulated online comparing her win to Gautam’s performance in the courtroom drama Haq. The clip included a past interview in which Gautam spoke about no longer seeking validation from awards and ended with a caption questioning whether the result was “fair.”

Some viewers interpreted Yami Gautam’s “like” on the video as criticism of Sanon’s win, prompting debate among fans on social media.