Urfi Javed

About

Urfi Javed is an Indian television actress, model and internet personality. She was first introduced to the public during her stint as an actress in various Indian television soaps from 2016 to 2020. In 2021 she participated in the reality shows Big Boss and MTV's Splitsvilla. Urfi is known for her controversial social media presence, eccentric style and outspoken personality on issues of free speech, feminism and women's rights. She made headlines in 2022 after entering into public internet disputes with Indian author Chetan Bhagat and BJP politician Chitra Wagh, who both criticized her for her clothing.

Career

Urfi Javed was born on October 15th, 2022, in Lucknow, India. She received a degree in mass communication from Amity University, Lucknow. Urfi began her role in the television industry by playing Avni Pant in Bade Bhaiya Ki Dulhania in 2016 and played a variety of minor roles in different television shows, with her last appearance being in 2020, when she played Tanisha Chakraborty in Kasautii Zingagii Kay.

In 2021, she participated in Voot's reality show Bigg Boss OTT, and in December 2022, she participated in MTV India's reality show MTV Splitsvilla X4 as a guest contestant.^[1]

On February 24th, 2022, she starred in a music video with Kunwarr,^[2] gathering over 2.3 million views in ten months (seen below).

Online Presence

Urfi has gained notoriety over the years for fashion choices and social media posts many consider to be eccentric or obscene. In 2021, Urfi was photographed by the paparazzi soon after her exit from Big Boss. A September 1st, 2021 video of her at the airport posted by @bollywoodpap went viral, gathering over 1.2 million views in over a year (seen below).^[3]

Urfi's most popular posts on her Instagram were posted on August 27th, 2022, and March 19th, 2022, gathering over 300,000 likes each (seen below).

She has over 4 million followers on Instagram and 140,000 followers on Twitter as of January 2023. She placed 43 on the list of the "most searched Asian celebrities" on Google in 2022.^[9]

Controversies

Urfi Javed vs. Chetan Bhagat

On November 27th, 2022, a video of Indian author Chetan Bhagat admonishing Urfi for "distracting" the youth of India at a literature festival began making the rounds on the internet. It can be accessed via upload to Twitter^[4] by @GautamGada (seen below).

Chetan Bhagat vs Urfi JavedIs he Right?Retweet#urfi #urfijaved #chetanbhagat pic.twitter.com/gVadpyn5tC

— Gautam Gada (@GautamGada) November 27, 2022

Also on November 27th, 2022, Urfi Javed took to her Instagram to criticize Bhagat for promoting violence against women, and she reposted previously leaked screenshots of a married Chetan Bhagat trying to flirt with a younger journalist on Whatsapp. Screenshots of the story can be accessed via upload to Twitter^[5] by @_deepIove, gathering over 2,000 likes in two months (seen below).

Urfi javed called out chetan Bhagat who is a known predator. pic.twitter.com/Ij2YDXPg0s

— فدا (@_deepIove) November 27, 2022

Urfi Javed vs. Chitra Wagh

On December 31st, 2022, BJP politician Chitra Wagh took to Twitter^[6] to announce that she "met Mumbai’s honorable Commissioner of Police and also met the Joint Commissioner Law and Order and demanded immediate legal action to be taken against who roams the streets of Mumbai exhibiting a lewd and lascivious display of her body in public places (translated from Marathi) (seen below).

मुंबई च्या रस्त्यांवर सार्वजनिक ठिकाणी बिभत्स व किळसवाणे अंगप्रदर्शन करत फिरणाऱ्या #उर्फीजावेद वर तात्काळ कायदेशीर कारवाई करावी यासाठी मुंबईचे मा.CPMumbaiPolice</a> तसेच सहआयुक्त कायदा व सुव्यवस्था यांची भेट घेतं मागणी केली <a href="https://twitter.com/MumbaiPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">MumbaiPolice BJP4Maharashtra</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4Mumbai?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">BJP4Mumbai pic.twitter.com/M3HHpvTyMB

— Chitra Kishor Wagh (@ChitraKWagh) January 1, 2023

Urfi took to her Twitter over the subsequent days to respond to Wagh's accusations by saying that she should focus her attention on social issues like sexual harassment and human trafficking in Mumbai,^[7] gathering over 8,000 like in a week (seen below, left). She also posted a series of tweets^[8] mocking Wagh, including one on January 9th, 2023 that read, "DP itni dhaasu, Chitra meri saasu," which translates to, "My display picture has him in awe, Chitra becomes my mother-in-law," gathering over 13,000 likes in two days (seen below, right).

Search Interest

External References