Salman Khan, one of Bollywood's most controversial stars, is hardly the celebrity to ask about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars. Nevertheless, he was asked to comment on Slapgate while attending a press conference on the IIFA Awards for 2022. Will Smith stormed onto the Oscars stage and hit Chris Rock after the comedian joked about Will's wife Jada's shorn head - Jada has a medical condition called alopecia which causes hair loss. Will Smith, who won Best Actor minutes later, has apologized after wide condemnation; Salman's hot take, however, was about the hosting - substitute presenting because Chris Rock was not the Oscars host, he presented one award.
At the IIFA press conference, Salman Khan said, "It's important for a host to be sensitive. Humour should always be above the belt and never below the belt," reports Times Of India. It should be said here that Salman was shredded by everyone from women's bodies to public opinion after his own insensitive comment some years ago about how training for his wrestling film Sultan made him "feel like a raped woman."
Salman, who attended the IIFA press conference with Varun Dhawan, Ananya Panday and Maniesh Paul, elaborated, "I have hosted shows like Bigg Boss, Dus Ka Dum, and so many live shows on stage. Whenever I have hosted Bigg Boss, and something wrong has happened with one of the contestants that have made me angry or disappointed, I say it out in the show, but I know there's a limit. I don't cross a line. Whatever I have to say, I say it on the given Saturday and then on Sunday I am all normal."
Varun Dhawan, who was at the press conference as well, posted his response to the Will Smith slap after it happened, writing in an Instagram Story: "Wow, didn't expect that."
Will Smith, who won his first Oscar for his performance in the film King Richard, apologised to Chris Rock on Instagram. "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness," he wrote as part of a lengthier post. The Academy, which tweeted yesterday that it does not "condone violence of any form," is reviewing the altercation and will decide on consequences for this year's Best Actor.
Salman Khan and Riteish Deshmukh will be hosting the 22nd edition of the IIFA Awards. This year, the award ceremony will take place on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on May 20 and 21.