Mishi Khan schools Abhijeet over anti-Pakistan remarks

She said Pakistani artists don't need anyone's validation and accused Abhijeet of making such remarks to stay relevant.

Pakistani actress and host Mishi Khan has fired back at veteran Indian singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya after he made deeply offensive remarks about Pakistani musicians, calling him a forgotten and irrelevant figure who was simply seeking attention by targeting successful Pakistani artists.
The controversy began when a clip of Abhijeet surfaced online in which he made a series of inflammatory statements about Pakistani singers who had previously performed in India. He said he would want to throw Pakistanis out of India, called them beggars who should stick to Coke Studio, suggested he would have physically harmed or hanged those who had invited Pakistani artists, and described them as an inferior species who could not get work in their own industry.
The remarks drew immediate condemnation across social media, and Mishi Khan was among the most vocal in her response. Speaking directly to the camera on Instagram, she addressed Abhijeet without holding back. She pointed out that the Pakistani industry was flourishing and booming, while questioning who Abhijeet himself was and why he felt qualified to make such statements. She noted that he had been sidelined in India because of his hateful nature and was no longer getting work in his own country, accusing him of taking the names of top Pakistani singers purely to remain relevant.
She added that people like him pass such statements only to stay in the limelight, and made clear that Pakistani artists were receiving plenty of work at home and did not need validation from anyone. She concluded her response with an unusually cutting personal remark, saying his face resembled a rickshaw, a line that quickly became the most-quoted part of her rebuttal online.
The response from fans was overwhelmingly supportive. Viewers praised Mishi Khan for her directness, calling her reply befitting and appreciating her willingness to stand up for Pakistani artists without softening her language or seeking middle ground. Many commented that her reaction said everything that needed to be said and that she had represented the country with exactly the energy the moment called for.
Abhijeet Bhattacharya is a veteran Bollywood playback singer known for lending his voice to numerous Hindi film tracks in the 1990s and 2000s. He has on multiple occasions courted controversy with remarks directed at Pakistan and Pakistani artists, and has a history of provocative statements that have drawn criticism in both India and Pakistan.
Mishi Khan, by contrast, has built a reputation over the years not only as a versatile actress but as a public figure willing to speak on political and social issues without hesitation. Her response to Abhijeet’s remarks is consistent with her established approach to public commentary, and her defence of Pakistani artists resonated strongly with an audience that was clearly waiting for exactly this kind of pushback.