Ae Dil Hai Mushkil faced quite a trying period ahead of its release and continued to find itself in the middle of controversy after it hit the screens. If you have watched the film, you may vaguely remember (read on, we’re not giving away any spoilers!) Ranbir Kapoor‘s character bragging about his singing skills to Anushka Sharma‘s. He went on to say that his friends call him Mohammed Rafi, to which Anushka responded with a “Mohammed Rafi gaate kam rote zyaada the na?” (“Mohammed Rafi sang less and cried more, right?”). All in good spirit of course! Going by an interview in Indian Express, Rafi’s son Shahid Rafi is seemingly upset with Karan Johar for including the dialogue in the film.
Here’s what he said to Indian Express:
This dialogue is an insult. It is stupid. The man who wrote this dialogue is stupid. After watching this, I doubt Karan Johar has got any sense about what he is doing. It’s an insult to my father. I am ashamed and didn’t expect this from Karan Johar. When his father Yash Johar ji made Dostana in 1980, my father sang songs in his film. I don’t know why he included the line in the film. Shayad shahurat sar par zyada chad gaya hai. Jab shahurat zyada chadh jaata hai, log mooh pe tareef karte hai aur peeth peeche thooh thooh karte hai. (All the fame has probably gone to his head and when that happens, people may praise you personally but offend you behind your backs.) I have received so many messages from fans asking me to take action. I will talk to Pahlaj ji. I know him very well. I will see what he suggests and accordingly take an action. This line could have been censored.
Read his entire statement here.