Thai Actors Fourth Nattawat And Gemini Norawit Apologise After ‘Bollywood Hero’ Charades Clip Sparks Indian Backlash

A charades segment on a Thai television show sparked backlash from Indian viewers, prompting actors Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul and Gemini Norawit to apologise on X (formerly Twitter).

The criticism followed a clip from A Thai Late-Night Show, where Fourth and Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak appeared with host Katanyu Sawangsri.

Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul apologises after Thai show row

Fourth apologised to Indian fans who felt hurt and accepted that his conduct during the game may have offended them, even though it happened as part of play. He said he meant no insult to any race.

He restated his support for equality and diversity. He also accepted that what he meant did not cancel the impact on viewers.

“I have always affirmed and supported equality and diversity, and I always will. I truly assure you that I had no intention and no thought of mocking any race whatsoever. I sincerely maintain that it was merely part of playing a game. However, I want to apologise from the bottom of my heart if any of my actions hurt the feelings of anyone, whoever they may be, and especially the Indian fans. This will serve as an important lesson for me to improve my behaviour moving forward,” Fourth said in his post on X.

Some Indian fans accepted the apology. They said they wanted Fourth to see why the segment upset them, not to target him. Many added that they were trying to raise the issue and push for greater cultural sensitivity, not attack the actor personally.

Gemini's apology to Indians

In the apology note, Gemini clarified that he had "no intention of mocking the issue currently being discussed, nor did I intend to belittle, disparage, or demean any country, culture, or people in any way."

However, he understands that his "actions may have been perceived as inappropriate, and I sincerely apologise to everyone affected by this incident."

He also assured that he will be more careful with his actions from now on.

What happened on the Thai show

The criticism centred on a charades round. Fourth was blindfolded and had to guess the phrase "Bollywood Hero", while Gemini tried to help him without speaking the words aloud.

Gemini used gestures to guide him, and Fourth answered with big head swings, wide arms and theatrical faces. He also sang Dhoom Machale as he tried to work out the clue, but he did not get it right.

The anger was not mainly about the game format. Indian viewers criticised the gestures and many took offence at Gemini laughing during the segment, arguing that the moment turned Indian cultural references into a joke.