'Never resorted to cheap PR tactics': Yami Gautam clears air on reel controversy about Kriti Sanon

Yami Gautam took to her Instagram and cleared the air regarding the controversy saying it was not done "consciously" and it was an accident.

Actress Yami Gautam is making her stance clear on the recent controversy involving her and Kriti Sanon saying that she is not involved in any "cheap PR tactics" and that she only focuses on her work.

It all started with Gautam liking a reel sharing Kriti Sanon's Zee Cine Awards win.

Soon after the controversy picked up, Gautam took to her Instagram and cleared the air, saying it was not done "consciously".

"It has come to my notice that I apparently ‘liked’ a reel that is condescending toward another actor. We get tagged in multiple things every day, and this appeared during an award-function reference like any other tag. It isn’t true and was definitely not done consciously, if anything, it may have been clicked accidentally," she wrote in her Instagram Story.

She further wrote that she has never resorted to "cheap PR tactics" and have always "focused on my work".

Screenshot of Yami Gautam's Instagram Story

"In the world of clickbait, it’s tempting for even dignified social media portals to harp on this and turn it into coffee-table gossip. But I would hope they would consider that I have earned a better reputation than that," she added.

She concluded the post saying that she doesn't have a PR team and that she cleared her stance on entertainment award shows long ago.

Kriti Sanon won the Best Actress for her role in Tere Ishk Mein at the Zee Cine Awards held on March 1, 2026. Gautam was nominated for her role in Haq starring Emraan Hashmi.

What followed was a video on Instagram shading Sanon for her win and it was liked by Gautam.

The video that showed Sanon flaunting her award after the win was edited with a footage of Gautam speaking in an earlier THR India interview.

According to media reports, Gautam was heard saying in the video, "You try everything, and it still doesn’t work. So, I’ve stopped seeking any kind of validation. If I get that award, then I am a good actress, and otherwise, I’m not. Nothing like that."

The video ended with questioning Sanon's win.

Fans were quick to spot Gautam's like on the video and some jumped in to question why was she shading Sanon for her win.

"Why so much hate on Kriti winning the award? Award Kriti ko mile ya Yami ko, both are deserving,” according to media reports, a fan wrote in the comment section of the video.

Gautam will be reportedly making a cameo in Aditya Dhar's directorial Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, a sequel to the superhit movie Dhurandhar featuring Ranveer Singh.

While Sanon will headline Cocktail 2, alongside Shahid Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna, she will also be seen in several other projects, including No Entry 2 and Bhediya 2.