Varun responds to criticism for lifting Gigi, kissing : 'It was planned'

MUMBAI: Varun Dhawan has reacted after he was criticised for picking supermodel Gigi Hadid on stage and giving a peck on her cheek. The Bollywood actor said that it was planned for her to be on stage.

Varun faced severe backlash online after a video of his dance performance at Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) went viral on social media. The video shows him picking Gigi up, spinning her and giving her a peck on the cheek as she was leaving the stage.

Reacting to a tweet by a woman, which read: "If you are a woman, you are not safe anywhere with anyone. Even if you are Gigi Hadid, invited to a party with an 'elite' crowd, guys like Varun Dhawan will randomly pick you up and kiss you without your consent, all in the name of fun. Disgusting."

The actor reacted and said: "I guess today you woke up and decided to be woke. So lemme burst ur bubble and tell u it was planned for her to be on stage so find a new Twitter cause to vent about rather then going out and doing something about things. Good morning."

The supermodel was attending the opening of the NMACC on Friday. Other celebrities who attended the gala included Tom Holland, Zendaya, Penelope Cruz, Karlie Kloss, Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt, and global icon Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas, Kareena Kapoor, and Saif Ali Khan.