Ismail Durbar faces backlash over comments on daughter-in-law Gauahar Khan’s work

Music director Ismail Durbar recently stirred controversy with a comment about his daughter-in-law Gauahar Khan’s work and might have enraged the internet a little too much through his misogynistic comment. While praising her as an excellent mother and wife, he added that her professional choices displease him, admitting that he avoids watching her work to “not get angry”.

Ismail Durbar’s comments on Gauahar Khan spark online debate

Gauahar Khan is an actress and model who has been in the spotlight for a long time. She is renowned for her works in movies like Begum Jaan, Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Ishaqzaade. Married to Zaid Darbar, she’s part of a family that often stays in the public eye. But when it comes to tradition and societal norms, it seems her father-in-law, Ismail Durbar, still holds rather conventional views.

The enragement sparked with Ismail spilling out his traditional views in a recent interview. He said, “I come from a backward family. We used to turn away whenever a sensuous scene came in a movie. That happens in our house even today. Gauahar is part of our family now, and we are responsible for her reputation. But I can’t tell her not to work that right only belongs to Zaid”.

This comment made the internet burst into criticism with Reddit users commenting, “Who is going to earn then? Gauahar is the most famous and accomplished person in this family.” Another questioned, “Who gave Zaid the right to permit or restrict her from working? She’s an adult, not a minor.”

Ismail didn’t just stop there he went on and explained how he ‘tolerates’ this in his home. He said, “I avoid watching anything that might bother me because I know I won’t be able to tolerate it, and if I can’t tolerate it, I will confront them”. 

He later went on to praise Gauahar, calling her a wonderful woman and the perfect match for his son, acknowledging the grace and balance she brings to their family. “All I know is that she has a wonderful relationship with Zaid, and that she is a wonderful mother. There is no harm in being honest about this”, Ismail added. 

Criticising his remarks further, social media erupted in anger. One user wrote, “Oh God ! I always thought she can't fit into this family. She was a bigger celebrity than his jobless husband! What all covid made people do”.