Masaba Gupta once SLAMMED ex-Pakistani cricketer Ramiz Raja for laughing at racist joke about her parents Vivian Richards and Neena Gupta
Masaba Gupta, the renowned celebrity designer and actor, is not just known for her work in fashion and drama series ‘Masaba Masaba’ but also for her outspoken stance against racism and disrespect. She is the daughter of legendary West Indies cricketer Vivian Richards and acclaimed Indian actress Neena Gupta.Back in 2023, she she took a strong stand on social media against former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja. The controversy erupted when a video surfaced of Ramiz Raja laughing at a racist joke targeting Masaba’s father, Vivian Richards, and her mother, Neena Gupta.
The offensive joke and Ramiz Raja’s reaction
The incident took place on a Pakistani TV show where a comedian made an insensitive joke about Vivian Richards’s skin colour. The comedian also referenced the cricketer’s relationship with Neena Gupta in a derogatory manner. When the host asked the comedian if she was a cricket fan, she replied, “I do watch cricket matches and my heart broke when Vivian Richards went into a relationship with Neena Gupta. I wrote a couplet then. ‘Jo ladkiyan khud ko kehti hain malika-e-aliya, Unko fir milta hai Mr Kaliya.” This couplet roughly translates to, “The girls who consider themselves the queen, eventually end up with a black man.”The racist nature of the joke was obvious and distasteful. Ramiz Raja, who was a guest on the show, was seen laughing at the joke, which many perceived as endorsing or condoning the offensive remark. This reaction did not sit well with Masaba Gupta.
Masaba Gupta’s bold response
In response to the clip, Masaba took to Twitter to call out Ramiz Raja directly. She wrote, “Dear Ramiz Raja (sir) grace is a quality few have. My father, mother and I have it in spades. You have none. Sickening to see you laugh on national TV in Pakistan at something the world stopped laughing at about 30 years back. Step into the future. All 3 of us are here with our chin up. #ramizraja.”Neena had a relationship with Vivian Richards in the 1980s. Though never married and despite Richards being married, they had a daughter, Masaba Gupta. Neena raised Masaba as a single mother, but Masaba has always spoken about Vivian with love and respect.
