Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn is facing online backlash after an old photo showing him shaking hands with former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi resurfaced on social media this week. The image, however, is not recent – it was taken during the inaugural edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) cricket tournament in 2024. The actor reportedly went to witness the final match of WCL 2024 at Edgbaston in Birmingham between India Champions and Pakistan Champions.
Ajay Devgn, who is a co-owner of the ongoing WCL 2025 edition, briefly met Afridi at last year’s tournament which featured retired cricket players from India, Pakistan, and other nations. The meeting had no political context and was part of the league’s formal events. However, the image resurfaced just months after a Pakistan-backed terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.
Retired Indian Army officer Lt Gen (Retd) KJS Dhillon criticised the meeting, writing, “Is it only for the soldiers to die for?”
Many social media users supported Dhillon’s reaction. One wrote, “Bollywood needs to understand and respect Indian audience sentiments. Boycotting their movies in theatres is one solution, and boycotting OTT platforms and channels would further reinforce the message.” Another said, “If hypocrisy has a face then it’s #Bollywood… it’s highly shameful.”
A user named Ramesh Iyer posted, “The timing of this photo resurfacing is an insult to every Indian mourning the Pahalgam attack.” Another comment read, “Soldiers are bleeding on the border while celebs are busy shaking hands with those who mock our dead.”
Adding fuel to the anger was a recent statement by Afridi himself. Commenting on the Pahalgam terror incident to Pakistani media, Afridi had said, “The terrorists continued to kill people in Pahalgam for an hour, and not a single Indian soldier out of 8 lakh showed up. But when they did, they blamed Pakistan.” He added, “India carries out terrorism itself, kills its own people, and then puts the blame on Pakistan.”
Following the outrage, the organisers of WCL 2025 announced the cancellation of the planned India vs Pakistan match – which would have been the first such game since Operation Sindoor.
Meanwhile, Ajay Devgn’s upcoming film Son of Sardar 2, a sequel to his 2012 movie, is set for release on August 1.
