Nepotism rocks: Karan, Saif and Varun take potshots at Kangana Ranaut at IIFA 2017

Kangana Ranaut raked up a debate on nepotism in Bollywood when she appeared on Koffee with Karan. Filmmaker Karan Johar and actors Varun Dhawan and Saif Ali Khan took a dig at the Queen star at the IIFA 2017 in New York.

Bollywood stars Varun Dhawan, Saif Ali Khan and filmmaker Karan Johar brought back the Kangana Ranaut-Karan Johar nepotism controversy at the 2017 IIFA awards stage on Sunday.

Karan Johar and Varun Dhawan joined Saif Ali Khan and took digs at Kangana Ranaut for her nepotism comments.

Varun Dhawan performs on stage during the 18th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Festival. (AFP)

The ceremony’s hosts - Karan and Saif - took a dig at the Queen star when Varun joined them on the stage to receive the award for the best performance in a comic role for Dishoom.

Saif raked up the nepotism issue when he joked that the actor had made it big in the industry because of his father, director David Dhawan. “You are here because of your pappa,” Saif quipped.

To which Varun replied, “You are here because of your mummy (referring to Sharmila Tagore).”

Soon, Johar joined them and said he was in the industry because of his father, filmmaker Yash Johar.

The trio then shouted, “Nepotism rocks”.

Saif and Varun then sang Bole chudiyaan Bole kangana from Johar’s film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...

But the director quickly reacted, saying, “Kangana nahi bole toh achha hai (It’s better if Kangana doesn’t speak).”

Kangana had fuelled the nepotism debate when she appeared on the Ae Dil Hai Mushkil director’s chat show. She had referred to Johar as “the flag bearer of nepotism”, which had not gone down well with the director.

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