New Delhi: Television actress Reem Shaikh found herself at the center of backlash as recently a video went viral on social media, where the actress was seen smiling, when asked about the recent Ahmedabad plane crash tragedy that shook the entire nation.
In the viral video posted on the account of renowned paparazzi, InstantBollywood, Reem is seen interacting with paps outside the sets of Laughter Chefs in Mumbai when one of them asks, “Ma’am kal ke baare mein kya bolenge? (Ma’am what would you like to say about yesterday?)” to which the actress smiles and questions, “Kyu, kal kya hua tha? (Why, What happened yesterday?)”
For those unversed, On Thursday, June 12, an Ahmedabad plane tragically crashed that happened, the flight was carrying 242 people. Air India, later in a statement, confirmed that the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff and added that there are 241 confirmed fatalities, with the sole survivor.
However, as to Reem, when the photographers clarified that they were referring to the tragic Air India crash, Reem gave no reaction and walked away.
Watch The Video Here:
The video sparked outrage among netizens with multiple people commenting on her posts, writing, “Shame on You” and calling her behavior “Insensitive.”
Amid the backlash, Reem took to her Instagram Stories to clarify her reaction, stating, “First of all, to everyone trolling me for not knowing about the plane crash-please stop. My sister flies for Air India. My real sister.”
She continued by sharing how personal the tragedy was for her and her family, “When the crash happened, I was one of the first to know. I’ve watched her break down, sitting at home, crying, mourning the loss of her fellow crew members. This isn’t just a headline for me; it’s deeply personal.”
Addressing the viral video and how the question was framed by the paparazzi, she explained, “Secondly, the pap who asked me said, “Kal ke baare mein kuch bolo,” not “Kal ke plane crash ke baare mein kuch bolo.” It’s heartbreaking how quickly assumptions are made. If! seemed distant, it wasn’t because I didn’t care, It was because I wasri’t asked about the tragedy directly, and wasn’t going to start speaking about something to sensitive without being asked specifically.”
Finally, Reem expressed why she chose not to grieve publicly, “Lastly, I usually avoid standing and taking to the media. To those calling me insensitive, please understand-1 can’t bring myself to grieve publicly, in front of cameras, only to turn around and act carefree later. That’s not me. It’s not how I process pain.”
Take a look at her story:
She concluded with a heartfelt plea, This loss has hit close to home in ways! can’t even explain. My sister works with these people. I’ve seen her cry for them, and I’ve cried with her. Please don’t judge someone’s heart based on a brief moment you saw on camera. This is a tragedy, and we should all be mourning it with compassion, not tearing each other down.”
Previously Reem opened up in an interview with Nayandeep Rakshit. She talked about her elder half sister, Riya Sharma, she said, “A lot of people don’t know because you know she is an Air Hostess, so half of the time she is not here.”
Meanwhile, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit criticized Reem on Instagram for being unaware of the Ahmedabad plane crash tragedy, though he later deleted the post.
In the video, Pandit said, “Doston aisa ho sakta hai ki yeh dharti par, iss desh mein ya videsh mein, aisa koi praani ho jise iss baat ka pata na ho ke ek Air India ka jaahaaz zameen pe gira, crash hua? Lekin aaye main aapko aisi shaks milane jaa raha ho jisko iss baat ka pata nahi ke yeh hua hai.”
“Inko pata hie nahi hai ke air crash hua hai aur itne log maare gaye hai. Inki zindagi vanity van ke bahar nikli nahi hai abhi tak. Yeh ussi vanity van mein ghum rahi hai,” he further added.
