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Thai actor Fourth Nattawat apologises after ‘Bollywood hero’ gestures draws backlash from Indian fans: ‘I had no intention of mocking any race’
The incident took place during Fourth Nattawat and his co-star Gemini Norawit appearance on A Thai Late-Night Show, hosted by Katanyu Sawangsri.
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Thai actor Fourth Nattawat has apologised after a game-show segment in which he used exaggerated gestures to guess “Bollywood Hero” was criticised for relying on stereotypes of Indian culture. His co-star Gemini Norawit, who was seen laughing during the game, also faced backlash.
Fourth addressed the controversy on X on October 8, 2026. He said he has always supported equality and diversity and did not intend to mock any race. He maintained that the gestures were part of a game, but acknowledged that his actions had hurt people and specifically apologised to Indian fans. The incident took place during Fourth and Gemini’s appearance on A Thai Late-Night Show, hosted by Katanyu Sawangsri.
Fourth says he is sorry
Fourth responded to the criticism on October 8, saying that he never intended to mock any race and that the actions were part of the game.
He wrote on X, “I have always affirmed and supported equality and diversity, and I always will. I truly assure you that I had no intention and no thought of mocking any race whatsoever. I sincerely maintain that it was merely part of playing a game. However, I want to apologise from the bottom of my heart if any of my actions hurt the feelings of anyone, whoever they may be, and especially the Indian fans. This will serve as an important lesson for me to improve my behaviour moving forward.”
Why the clip upset Indian fans
A short clip sparked a much bigger conversation among Indian fans of Thai entertainment. In the segment, Fourth was blindfolded while Gemini tried to help him guess the words “Bollywood Hero” from a cue card without actually saying them. Gemini used hand movements and other gestures to communicate the clue. Fourth responded with exaggerated head and neck movements, stretched-out arms and dramatic expressions as he tried to work out the answer. He also sang ‘Dhoom Machale’ at one point, although he still could not guess the clue.
The problem, many Indian viewers felt, was not the guessing game itself but the way Indian culture was being represented. The head movements, hand gestures and exaggerated dancing were familiar stereotypes that are often used outside India as a shorthand for Indian dance.
Indian fans took to X to question why these portrayals continue to be treated as harmless jokes. Several also pointed out that India does not have one single dance form that can simply be reduced to a few gestures. The country has a wide range of classical, folk and contemporary dance traditions.
Fans reacts to his apology
The apology was received positively by several Indian fans, who said they wanted the actor to understand why the performance had been offensive rather than face personal attacks.
One user on X wrote, “See it's not that hard to get accountability if we come together. It's good he acknowledge and apologised, I hope it won't happen again. Now the whole topic should rest. It was about educating him and he got it.” Another user said, “Atleast you are acknowledging the mistakes and wants to be careful for future learning the mistakes is better than ignoring. Hope you will be not repeat the same mistakes again.. Kudos to you.”
A third user urged Fourth to be more mindful, writing, “Next time, please be more careful about what you do Fourth. Sometimes certain actions can hurt the sentiments of others. I hope you take this as a lesson and be more mindful in the future.”
Another fan thanked the actor for taking the criticism seriously, writing, “Thank you for taking the time to listen and understand why it was disrespectful to us. This has been a sensitive issue for Indians for a long time and all we ever wanted was for our culture to be understood and respected. There’s no personal hatred or grudge against you.”
Pond Naravit faced a similar backlash
The controversy involving Fourth and Gemini comes less than two months after another GMMTV star, Pond Naravit, faced criticism over a performance at the Pond Phuwin concert in August 2026. Pond performed Helikopter, a Bosnian song by Fazlija, on the opening day of the concert. He appeared on stage in a yellow helicopter and wore a pagri and sherwani during the performance.
Some viewers felt that parts of the choreography drew from Bharatanatyam, the Indian classical dance form, as well as movements from the Malhari sequence in Bajirao Mastani. The performance triggered criticism online, including the hashtag #PondapologizetoIndianpeople.
The discussion also brought older examples back into the spotlight. One of them was GMMTV's Fish Upon the Sky, which included a comedic sequence featuring characters dressed in stereotypical Sikh attire, including turbans and traditional clothing. Some Indian and international viewers felt that the scene reduced Sikh identity to a costume and a joke.
Who is Fourth?
Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul was born on October 18, 2004. He entered the entertainment industry after winning Thailand School Star 2019, which helped launch his acting career. He is currently studying law at Chulalongkorn University. He has worked on several shows including F4: Thailand. However, he rose to immense popularity due to BL (boy love) shows with Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak.
The two actors became particularly popular after starring together in My School President in 2022. Gemini played Tinn, the student council president, while Fourth played Gun, the leader of the school's music club. The success of the series turned them into one of GMMTV's most popular young pairings. They went on to reunite for projects including Moonlight Chicken and Our Skyy 2 in 2023, followed by My Love Mix-Up! in 2024, the Thai adaptation of the Japanese manga.
In 2026, they starred in Ticket to Heaven, a more serious project centred on faith, conflict and forbidden love. Both actors have also pursued music and released songs through Riser Music.
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