Jim Sarbh clarifies ‘rape joke’ at Cannes: I was enacting parts of a play

In what appears to be an after-party during the 71st Cannes Film Festival, Jim Sarbh made a joke about rape and Kangana Ranaut was seen laughing. The actor has now issued a clarification.

bollywood Updated: May 18, 2018 15:36 IST
Kangana Ranaut and Jim Sarbh were seen at the Cannes Film Festival recently.(Instagram)

Hours after a clip showing actor Jim Sarbh cracking a rape joke at what appears to be an after-party at the 71st Cannes Film Festival, the actor has said that his comments have been taken out of context. He maintained that the video was part of a play he was enacting that happens to be a dark satire.

In a video that surfaced late Thursday, Jim is heard saying, “I’d rather be raped by 12 prostitutes than touch alcohol and the Punjabi says ‘Me too, I didn’t know that was an option.” As Jim completes his ‘joke’, Kangana Ranaut is seen cracking up along with the rest of the party. The video appears to be from an after-party at Cannes; both Jim and Kangana represented a liquor brand at the prestigious film festival.

Jim later said in a statement to Hindustan Times that his comments were taken out of context. “It is unfortunate that my comments were taken out of context. I do not now nor have I ever condoned any form of sexual violence. This has been picked out of context without a prelude where I am actually enacting parts of a play which is a dark satire.”

Kangana has not commented on the issue.

Jim rose to fame with his portrayal of a terrorist in Sonam Kapoor’s Neerja and was recently seen alongside Ranveer Singh in Padmaavat.

The social media was left disgusted as the clip went viral. While one user wrote, “Rape is not a joke. If you tell or laugh at jokes about rape you are a part of the problem,” another said, “Kangana laughs as Jim Sarbh jokes about rape at a Cannes event. Interesting thing was she once bashed popular star for using this word “Rape” and called that insensitive.”

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