Indian fans take stand for Bollywood, make Thai actors apologise for stereotyping

On October 8, Thai actors Fourth Nattawat and Gemini Norawit participated in the late-night talk show Katanyu Tonight. During the episode, Fourth, who was blindfolded, had to act out the prompt "Bollywood Hero" while Gemini Norawit guessed his portrayal. However, his exaggerated movements and gestures were deemed mocking by viewers, leading to controversy.

Both actors and the show's production team subsequently apologized for the incident. Fourth clarified that his intention was not to mock any race, expressing his apologies for any hurt caused, particularly to Indian fans. Gemini Norawit also apologized, stating that his actions were not meant to belittle or disparage any country, culture, or people.

The production team behind Katanyu Tonight issued an apology, stating that they never intended to mock or disrespect any race, culture, or group of people. They acknowledged the feedback and promised to learn from the experience to be more thoughtful and careful in their content creation, while also apologizing to Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul, Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak, and all others involved.

The segment was subsequently removed from the show. The controversy arose from the exaggerated head movements and dramatic gestures of Fourth, which amused studio audiences but drew criticism from Indian viewers who felt the portrayal reinforced stereotypes about Indians and Bollywood actors.