Actor Kushal Tandon and choreographer-content creator Zaid Darbar are currently contestants on Kunal Kemmu’s reality show, Alliance. A few weeks ago, Kushal made what many viewers interpreted as a tongue-in-cheek reference to his former relationship with Gauahar Khan while chatting with Zaid. On Sunday, an apology video was shared by the production company Banijay Asia on Instagram, jointly with Zaid.
What Zaid said
In the clip, Zaid apologised with folded hands and said in Hindi: “Sometimes, I just get carried away with my life. I didn’t realize it. What Kushal said was wrong. And I took it lightly. It’s my fault.”
“I’m sorry. Really sorry. And I hope you understand what I am. You know me. You know what kind of a person I am. I can’t hurt anyone. I can hurt myself, but I can’t hurt anyone around me. That’s the truth,” Zaid added. It was Vanshaj Singh, who entered the show as a wildcard contestant and told Zaid that Kushal’s remarks were the reason Gauahar faced massive backlash online.
Gauahar’s response
Gauahar took note of the apology and reassured him in the comments section of the post. She said, “Vanshaj is playing . Masti is ok , coz u know every silly thing doesn’t mean one gets offended. U are right , don’t get swayed by dirty play . Keep rocking Jaanu.”
What was the joke?
While chatting with Mini Mathur in the gym area, Kushal claimed he had scored a big win over Zaid the previous night. When Mini asked him how, Zaid explained that he had asked Kushal for a cigarette because the ones he had were “bekar” (bad). In response, Kushal quipped, “Tujhe saali, saari meri cheezin pasand aati hai” (“You always like my things”), a remark that many viewers believed was a reference to Gauahar, whom Kushal had previously dated.
Mini appeared shocked by the comment, while Arslan Goni, who entered the show as Kushal’s alliance partner, asked both Zaid and Kushal not to make such remarks on the show. Responding to him, Kushal said, “It’s a joke.”
Kushal and Gauahar met on Bigg Boss 7 in 2013 and fell in love. However, they broke up in 2014. In 2020, Gauahar got engaged to Zaid, and the couple married in December of the same year. They welcomed their first son, Zehaan, in 2023 and their second son in 2025.