Now Reading: Vijay Varma jabs Dolly Singh for ‘red flag’ remark at IFFM 2026
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Vijay Varma jabs Dolly Singh for ‘red flag’ remark at IFFM 2026
At the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2026, actor Vijay Varma playfully hit back at host Dolly Singh after she called him the 'biggest red flag' on screen. Varma had just won the Best Performance award for his role in Matka King. Singh noted he often plays morally complex characters and asked how he balances that with being a nice person off-screen.
Varma replied, 'Just buy a piece of red cloth and keep it at home, and make as many flags as you want.' When Singh called it a 'lame joke', Varma retorted, 'Just as I let go of your terrible compliments aside.' Times Now reported the exchange as a witty dig and 'terrible compliment', while Hindustan Times described it as lighthearted banter that left the audience in splits. Both outlets noted that fans appreciated the moment, though some social media users found it awkward.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both outlets cover the incident as lighthearted celebrity banter, with no political or ideological slant. Times Now frames it as a 'playful dig' and leads with Varma's reaction, while Hindustan Times provides more context on Varma's career and audience reactions, including critical comments. The uniform neutral-report stance reflects that this is a soft entertainment story with no controversy. Readers can take away that the exchange was a fun on-stage moment, with Varma winning the award and acknowledging director Nagraj Manjule. The next point to watch is the release of Varma's upcoming Netflix show Family Business.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): timesnownews.com (neutral report), hindustantimes.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
