Bollywood

Pop sensation Dhvani Bhanushali, known for massive chartbusters like “Dilbar,” “Vaaste,” and others, recently opened up about the heavy criticism she faced in 2022 following a viral video. The clip, which circulated widely online, showed filmmaker Farah Khan abruptly stopping Dhvani’s performance mid-song. The internet quickly seized on the moment, with many accusing the singer of being overly reliant on auto-tune.

In a candid recent interview with Hauterrfly, Dhvani clarified the truth behind the controversial moment, addressed the persistent trolling, and revealed that Farah Khan later apologized to her for the public misunderstanding.

Clarifying the Viral IIFA Moment

Recounting the specific incident, which took place during an IIFA event, Dhvani explained the extenuating circumstances. “The whole thing happened when I was insanely sick,” she stated. “I was four Dolos down (fever tablets). I don’t know why I even sang that day, and it wasn’t even that bad.”

She then dropped a significant detail about the video’s editing: “Kisi gadhe ne uspe auto-tune daal diya kuch galat (some fool added wrong auto-tune to it). It’s modified at a lot of places — they purposely made it worse.”

While acknowledging the performance wasn’t her best—given her illness and low moment—Dhvani believes the public reaction was fueled by deliberate manipulation. She shared her philosophical take on the situation: “They uploaded it and laughed at me, and I thought, ‘haan theek hai yaar, at least tu mere naam pe apne aap ko bech raha hai (fine, at least you’re selling yourself using my name).’”

Farah Khan Apologized for the Fiasco

The video clip that ignited the controversy showed Dhvani singing her hit “Vaaste.” When Farah Khan stopped her, Dhvani simply responded, “Okay, chup hojaati hun” (I’ll keep quiet now). Farah then took the mic and made a comment about singers not using auto-tune, which many internet users interpreted as a direct dig at Dhvani’s vocals.

Dhvani revealed that the director later reached out to express her regret. “Farah ma’am came to me and said, ‘Beta, I’m sorry.’” Dhvani felt Farah had anticipated how the moment would be picked up and twisted by trolls.

Crucially, Dhvani holds no ill will toward the filmmaker. “I never blamed her for it. It wasn’t her fault, nor was it mine.” She emphasized their friendly relationship, noting that she immediately invited Farah to party with her that night. Later, they met again, and Farah kindly agreed to film a fun video with the singer.

Dealing with Trolls and Her Career

When discussing how she handles the constant barrage of trolls who accuse her of using auto-tune, Dhvani adopted a pragmatic approach. She stated that such negativity only boosts her visibility, effectively treating the online noise as free publicity. She also stressed that she still genuinely enjoys her interactions with Farah Khan despite the infamous incident.

Dhvani Bhanushali made her Bollywood playback debut with “Ishtehaar” from Welcome To New York. Her career quickly accelerated with hits like “Dilbar” (Satyameva Jayate) and “Duniya” (Luka Chuppi). Her breakthrough 2019 single, “Vaaste,” made her the youngest and fastest Indian pop star to surpass 1 billion views on YouTube, solidifying her status as a leading voice in Indian pop music.

In 2024, Dhvani made her acting debut in the film Kahan Shuru Kahan Khatam, though the film received mixed reviews and underperformed commercially.