Actor and celebrity designer Masaba Gupta criticized former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and ex-cricketer Ramiz Raja for laughing at a racial remark made about her mother, Neena Gupta, and father, Vivian Alexander Richards, a former West Indies player.
Taking to X, Masaba wrote, “Dear Ramiz Raja (sir), grace is a quality few possess. My father, mother, and I have it in abundance. You have none. Sickening to see you laugh on national TV in Pakistan at something the world stopped laughing at about 30 years ago. Step into the future. All three of us are here with our chins up. #ramizraja.”
Her tweet came as a reaction to a viral video on social media. The video is a clip from a chat show in Pakistan featuring Ramiz Raja, a former cricket player, and the former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. He giggles at a crude remark made by a woman who appears to be a guest on the talk show. The disparaging comment sparked outrage on the internet, calling out both Ramiz Raja and her for finding it amusing.
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The woman’s comment about feeling sorry for Sir Vivian Richards for “taking away” Neena Gupta is captured on camera. She continued with racist remarks, and the attendees seemed to find it funny. She referred to Sir Richards as “kaalia,” prompting laughter from the group.
When the show’s host asked the comedian if she followed cricket, she replied, “I do watch cricket matches, and my heart broke when Vivian Richards entered a relationship with Neena Gupta. I wrote a couplet then. ‘Jo ladkiyan khud ko kehti hain malika-e-aliya, Unko fir milta hai Mr Kaliya.'”
The video was shared on a fan page with a caption, “So everyone is calling out Razzak, Gul, and Afridi for that Aishwarya Rai saga, and that’s a good thing, but nobody paid attention to this; this channel was making fun of Neena Gupta and passing racist remarks on Sir @ivivianrichards.”
Neena Gupta and former West Indies player Vivian Alexander Richards had Masaba out of wedlock and have lived separately throughout their lives. Neena welcomed her daughter Masaba on November 2, 1989. She raised her alone. In 2008, Neena tied knot with chartered accountant Vivek Mehra. Vivian visited India in January 2023 to attend Masaba’s wedding with Satyadeep Misra. (ANI)