Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor's boyfriend Shikhar Pahariya gave a befitting reply to a netizen in the late hours of Monday after she commented on his old post and called him 'Dalit'. Shikhar, who usually maintains a low profile, did not hold himself back this time and called the netizen's thoughts 'pathetic' and 'backward'.

It all began after the netizen commented, "Lekin tu toh dalit hai", under a photo which Shikhar had posted on Diwali. Sharing her comment on his Instagram stories, Shikhar wrote, "It’s honestly pathetic that in 2025, there are still people like you with such a small, backward mindset."

He went on to say, "Diwali is a festival of light, progress, and unity—concepts that are clearly beyond your limited intellect. India’s strength has always been in its diversity and inclusivity, something you clearly fail to grasp. Maybe instead of spreading ignorance, you should focus on educating yourself, because right now, the only thing truly ‘untouchable’ here is your level of thinking."

For those unversed, Shikhar is the grandson of former Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and the son of actress, Smruti Shinde. He is the brother of Veer Pahariya, who recently made his acting debut alongside Akshay Kumar in Sky Force.

Shikhar and Janhvi have been dating ever since they were kids, and despite their relationship hitting a rough patch post the actress' Bollywood debut with Dhadak, the lovebirds got back together. Every year, they are also seen taking their customary Tirupati trip together to honour the actress' mother, late Sridevi's roots and beliefs. Shikhar is quite close to Janhvi's father, filmmaker Boney Kapoor as well.