Netflix’s Desi Bling catapulted Dubai-based couple Satish Sanpal and Tabinda Sanpal into the spotlight. While their opulent lifestyle, luxury car collection, and gold obsession kept viewers glued to the show, several of their remarks and on-screen moments also sparked fierce debates on social media. One scene, in particular, where Tabinda was seen giving her husband a foot massage, drew heavy criticism online. Now, Tabinda has finally addressed the trolling and defended her actions.
Tabinda defends foot massage moment
Tabinda, along with her husband Satish, appeared on the latest episode of the Humans of Bombay show on YouTube. During the conversation, the couple reflected on how several of their remarks on the Netflix reality show were taken out of context, opening up about the wave of trolling and online backlash that followed.
One moment that particularly grabbed attention showed Tabinda giving Satish a foot massage, prompting a section of social media users to accuse her of promoting misogyny and reinforcing regressive gender stereotypes.
Reacting to the backlash over the same, Tabinda said, “I didn’t have any purpose to tell people that I massage his feet and Satish will give me gold. It’s not like that… Satish runs a lot, toh unke feet kaafi jyada hurt hote rehte hain (Satish runs a lot, so his feet often hurt). He is a very good runner; he can run for more than an hour. Every day, he runs for about 60 minutes. To mujhe lagta hai ki blood circulation acha hoga (I believe that foot massages help with blood circulation), and I just want him to wake up at 6 am comfortably.”
“Satish se shaadi karne se pehle main apni mother ka foot massage karti thi. To humare yahan bola jata hai ki maa ke kadmon me jannat hai. Aur uske baad aapke husband aapke majazi khuda hain. To mujhe lagta hai it’s a good thing to do (Before marrying Satish, I used to give foot massages to my mother. We believe that there is heaven under a mother’s feet. And then a husband is like God. So I think it’s a good thing to do). Logon ko kuch achha dekhna chahiye, us mein burai nahin dekhni chahiye (People should see good things, they should not look for bad stuff in everything),” Tabinda added.
About Desi Bling
The Netflix show revolves around the glamorous lives of ultra-wealthy Indian expats, where lavish parties, luxury and personal drama dominate their world. The series features an ensemble cast including luxury tycoons and socialites Rizwan Sajan, Satish Sanpal, Adel Sajan, Sana Sajan, Tabinda Sanpal, Pamela Serena, Dyuti Parruck, Iryna Kinakh, Alizey Mirza, Lailli Mirza and Janvee Gaur. Television actors Tejasswi Prakash and Karan Kundrra are also part of the show.
The show made headlines for several reasons – from its lavish parties and headline-grabbing statements by the contestants to Karan Kundrra’s grand on-screen proposal to Tejasswi Prakash.