3 min readNew DelhiApr 25, 2026 03:35 PM IST When 7 Khoon Maaf released in 2011, it made headlines not just for its box office numbers but also for Priyanka Chopra’s widely praised performance. However, even before its release, the film had already sparked controversy after Annu Kapoor claimed at an event that Priyanka had initially refused to kiss him because he wasn’t a “hero” or conventionally good-looking. Although the scene ultimately remained in the film, the remark triggered widespread debate around female comfort and beauty standards in the industry. Now, nearly 15 years later, Annu Kapoor has revisited the controversy, clarifying what led him to make that statement and attributing it to repeated questioning by journalists. Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, the actor said, “What else could it be? More than my looks, the problem was that I am not a hero. I don’t really know. When we worked together in the Vishal Bhardwaj film Saat Khoon Maaf, several journalists kept asking me if Priyanka refused to kiss me. This was around 16 years ago. …