Actor Munmun Dutta Withdraws Video Containing Offensive Slur Against The Marginalised

Munmun Dutta controversy: Television actor Munmun Dutta of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah fame is under fire for a makeup video she shared on social media, which contained a slur against India's marginalised communities. After massive outrage built on social media, Dutta issued a statement Monday, apologising for her words and announcing she had taken her video down.

There are, however, wide calls being made on the internet for legal action against the 33-year-old under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Act. Over 13000 tweets have been recorded with the demand to 'arrest Munmun Dutta' on May 10 alone, with the count only ticking upwards.

In her now-deleted

We are demanding @MumbaiPolice please take a strict action against her in SC/ST act. She is using inappropriate word for a particular society & hurt our sentiment. #ArrestMunmunDutta pic.twitter.com/kJPTy18Ccl

— Hansraj Meena (@HansrajMeena) May 10, 2021 Dutta could be heard using the slur in reference to her physical appearance. Prominent activist Hansraj Meena tagged Mumbai Police on her video, directing them to take strict action against her.

Watch below: 

We are demanding @MumbaiPolice please take a strict action against her in SC/ST act. She is using inappropriate word for a particular society & hurt our sentiment. #ArrestMunmunDutta pic.twitter.com/kJPTy18Ccl

— Hansraj Meena (@HansrajMeena) May 10, 2021

Munmun Dutta Controversy Prompts Online Calls For Her Arrest

Dutta, who hails from West Bengal and is currently based in Mumbai, wrote in her statement, "Because of my language barrier, I was genuinely misinformed about the meaning of the word. Once I was made aware of its meaning I immediately took the part down. I have utmost respect for every single person from every caste, creed or gender and acknowledge their immense contribution to our society or nation."

pic.twitter.com/vxWspMtLzP

— Munmun Dutta (@moonstar4u) May 10, 2021

She issued her statement in both English and Hindi.

Alongside demands for action against Dutta, there are several in support of her rallying behind the "language barrier" reason she gave for the slur used.

Dutta made her screen debut in 2004 with Hum Sab Baraati on Zee TV. In 2006, she starred in Pooja Bhatt-directed film Holiday. Since 2008, the actor has been playing the role of Babita Iyer on the sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah that airs on Sony SAB.