Congress MLA Calls Madhuri Dixit 'Second Grade Actor', BJP Says 'Absurd'

Last Updated:March 13, 2025, 18:35 IST

Congress leader Tikaram Jully landed in a row after he called Madhuri Dixit a 'second grade actor'. He later also issued a clarification saying that while Madhuri Dixit is a good actor, the time when she was at the peak of her popularity has passed.

Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit (Credits: Instagram)

Congress MLA Tikaram Jully found himself at the centre of controversy on Thursday after referring to Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit as a “second-grade actor" and stating that “her prime has gone." His remarks were made during a discussion in the Rajasthan Assembly.

The Congress leader questioned the benefits of the recently held IIFA event for the state and also scrutinised the government’s expenditure.

“In the name of IIFA, over ₹100 crore of public money was spent. If you saw the hoardings, it was only a promotion of IIFA and not of Rajasthan. What did Rajasthan gain from IIFA? The stars who attended the event did not visit any tourist sites in the state," TOI cited Jully as saying.

He further said “And which big name from the industry appeared? Apart from Shah Rukh Khan, all others were second-grade stars. No other first-grade actor came," according to the TOI report.

When house members objected to his comments, Jully reiterated, “Now, Madhuri Dixit is a second-grade star, her prime has gone. She was a star in the times of her movies like ‘Dil’ and ‘Beta’."

Speaking to the media later, Jully clarified his statement, saying, “Except for Shah Rukh Khan, no other big actor attended IIFA. What message do you want to convey by inviting just 5-7 actors? There are categories of actors based on their popularity."

He further added, “The actors who are currently popular did not attend. There is no doubt that Madhuri Dixit is a good actor, but the time when she was at the peak of her popularity has passed."

While the Congress distanced itself from the remark, calling it Jully’s “personal views," BJP leader and Rajasthan’s Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari responded.

“Every actor deserves respect; we should honour their art. He (Tikaram Jully) made an inappropriate comment about a female actor; he should not have said that… What he stated in the Assembly is condemnable," she was quoted as saying by ANI.

This controversy follows a recent incident involving Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed, who faced criticism for posting derogatory comments about Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma on social media.

News movies Congress MLA Calls Madhuri Dixit 'Second Grade Actor', BJP Says 'Absurd'