Annu Kapoor reflects on his past comments about Priyanka Chopra refusing to kiss him: 'I am not a hero'

'7 Khoon Maaf' is considered one of the best films of Priyanka Chopra's career. The film hit theatres in 2011, it made headlines not just for Priyanka's ace performance but also for a controversy involving Annu Kapoor and an intimate scene in the film. His remarks at the time triggered conversations around consent, comfort, and perceptions of beauty in the industry.Now, almost 15 years later, Annu Kapoor has revisited the incident, offering more clarity on what led to his statement. The actor said his comment came out of frustration after being repeatedly questioned by the media during the film’s release. She said in an interview with Siddharth Kannan, “What else could it be? More than my looks, the problem was that I am not a hero. I don’t really know. When we worked together in Vishal Bhardwaj’s film Saat Khoon Maaf, several journalists kept asking me if Priyanka refused to kiss me," he said.He further added, “They kept pestering me, and I eventually got irritated and said, ‘Maybe she would have if I was a star.’” Kapoor also revealed that he had been told about Priyanka’s hesitation regarding the scene and maintained that he respected her decision. He even suggested that the scene be removed altogether.“Vishal Bhardwaj told me she was hesitant. I said that makes sense. I even suggested removing the scene, but Vishal refused. We had to go ahead with it. Actors can’t appear uncomfortable on camera, so we did it professionally," he said. At the time, Priyanka Chopra had strongly objected to Kapoor’s remarks, calling them inappropriate and unnecessary, and expressed her discomfort with how the situation was portrayed publicly.Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film was adapted from Ruskin Bond’s Susanna’s Seven Husbands and featured a strong ensemble cast including Irrfan Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Alexander Dyachenko.