Vijay Varma’s casual remark against fellow actor Kartik Aaryan has led to a lot of debate and discussion on social media.

The actor, while promoting his web series Matka King, took part in a rapid-fire segment during a conversation with WeAreYuvaa. He was asked to name actors based on specific traits. When asked who is the “king of charm” he replied “Shah Rukh Khan” to the prompt for “king of improvisation” he said “Rajpal Yadav.” However, when asked about who is the “king of PR”, Vijay said “Kartik Aaryan.” The clip went viral online and led to divided opinions.

While some users took offence and interpreted the remark as a subtle dig, criticising Vijay and calling him “jealous” or “hypocritical,” others came out in his support, highlighting the informal nature of rapid-fire rounds.

A Reddit user backed the actor, stating, “Honestly, he is spot on with all the answers.” Another comment read, “I think being honest is not a crime, completely supporting Vijay Verma here!”

Several others emphasised that such segments are meant to be light-hearted and spontaneous. One user said, “It was rapid fire yaar, why take it so seriously?” while another added, “It was clearly meant in a light-hearted way…nothing ‘PR expose’ level dramatic about it.”

A section of social media users also felt the remark was being misinterpreted and was actually intended as praise. One user wrote, “He was just appreciating, logo ne ulta hi le liya.” Another comment stated, “Joke tha yaar, compliment samjho na and upar se he’s actually called king of PR by everyone!”

On the work front, Vijay’s Matka King is currently streaming on Prime Video. He will next be seen in the show Family Business, which also stars Anil Kapoor and Rhea Chakraborty. Meanwhile, Kartik Aaryan has multiple projects lined up, including Naagzilla, an untitled film directed by Anurag Basu, and another untitled project with director Kabir Khan.