Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani's Kabir Singh is the second highest Bollywood grosser of 2019 after War. Raking in over Rs 278 crores at the box-office, the film resuscitated the leading man's fluctuating career. However, the makers and the actors may not have anticipated the scathing and polarizing reactions and reviews this romantic drama would garner. Critics called out Kabir Singh, both the film and the protagonist, for its misogyny toxic masculinity.

However, there were a lot of people, which also included Bollywood celebrities, which stood by it. The latest name to join the film in its support is filmmaker Kabir Khan. Talking about the problematic portrayal by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Khan spoke at the 21st Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star, "If a character has toxic masculinity, that is not the problem. It is ultimately about I (the filmmaker) show him in the film. That matters. Am I glorifying him or showing him as a broken piece? It also depends on how the audience perceives it. What matters the most is, what comment the filmmaker is making at the end of the film."