Vikrant Massey says India got ‘so called azaadi in 1947’ and the internet is furious: 'Naye itihaskaar'

Vikrant Massey faced backlash for calling India's independence 'so-called Azadi' during a podcast. Social media users criticised his comments.

Vikrant Massey seems to be facing quite a bit of backlash lately. Just days after he received criticism for touching his wife's feet, the actor has sparked further controversy with a politically sensitive comment. While promoting his new film, The Sabarmati Report, Massey made remarks on freedom of expression in India, referring to the 1947 independence from British rule as "so-called Azadi." Unsurprisingly, his statement has stirred discontent online. (

Bollywood actor Vikrant Massey's The Sabarmati Report is up for release.

What Vikrant Massey said

Vikrant appeared on the Top Angle podcast with journalist Sushant B Sinha. On the podcast, as he talked about India's modern history, the actor said, “We need to understand that we are a young nation. It's been 76-77 years (since the independence). After hundreds and hundreds of years of oppression - from the Mughals, the Dutch, the French, and the British - we got one so-called Azadi (independence). But was it really independence? The colonial hangover that they left, we stayed in it. I feel that the Hindus have finally got that opportunity to ask for their identity in their own country. We sometimes don't pay attention to this concept of identity, the concept of sentiment. The biggest wars have been fought on sentiment; most of the decisions in our lives are driven by sentiment and how we feel.”

The internet reacts

The internet did not take kindly to Vikrant's 'so-called Azaadi' comment. After the snippet of this statement was shared on social media, one person commented in Hindi, "What has happened to him? Is he saying all this to promote the film? One should keep an eye on him even after release." Another quipped, "Naye itihaaskaar (New historian)." Others were harsher in their assessment. "Laakhon logon ke balidaan ke baad mili Azaadi inko so-called lag rahi hai. Inke jaise gaddaar sirf Bharat me hi paaye jaate hain (The independence we won after millions of people's sacrifice seems so-called to him. Traitors like this are only found in India."

Many likened Vikrant's statement to an earlier one from Kangana Ranaut, who had said that India won 'real' independence only in 2014. "Male Kangana Ranaut," declared one tweet in response to Vikrant's statement.

The Sabarmati Report

Directed by Ranjan Chandel, The Sabarmati Report stars Vikrant, Riddhi Dogra, and Raashii Khanna. The film is described as a thriller based on the infamous Godhra train burning incident of February 2002 that sparked the Gujarat riots. The film is slated to be released in theatres on November 15.