The long-running public dispute between actors Hrithik Roshan and Kangana Ranaut has resurfaced after a viral social media trend prompted fresh exchanges between the two. The latest episode began with an Instagram post claiming that "the world owes an apology to Hrithik Roshan," which sparked widespread discussion online. While Hrithik called for people to rely on verified facts rather than social media narratives, Kangana responded by accusing him of indirectly encouraging online trolling and urged him to stop making comments that she said reignited the controversy.

The discussion started after author Freddy Birdy shared the viral Instagram post. Responding to it, Hrithik Roshan wrote that people should avoid taking sides based on personal preferences and instead wait for the full context supported by facts. "My friend, siding with 'A' just because you don't like 'B' anymore is a small part of the larger systemic issue plaguing our society. I'll wait, for when the context to it is the right one, and motivated by facts. That would be fair. But then again, who cares anymore right," he wrote. His response quickly gained traction on social media, with many users interpreting it as a reference to his long-standing dispute with Kangana Ranaut.

Kangana later responded through her Instagram Stories, sharing a news report about Hrithik's remarks. In her post, she said she was pleased that Hrithik had found happiness with actor Saba Azad but criticised him for making comments that, according to her, encouraged harassment in her name. She urged him to publicly discourage online bullying and refrain from making what she described as "unreasonable comments," adding that such remarks only added "fuel to the fire."

Also Read: Hrithik Roshan Voices Strong Support For Sonam Wangchuk's Protest

The renewed debate gained momentum after Kangana's recent comments on student protests led to a public exchange with Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson Saurav Das. During the exchange, Das joked that his friends believed Kangana had targeted him because he resembled a younger Hrithik Roshan. The remark quickly spawned memes and online discussions, reviving interest in the actors' decade-old dispute. Separate speculation also emerged on social media claiming Hrithik had liked a meme mocking Kangana, although the alleged interaction could not be independently verified after the original Instagram post was deleted.

The latest exchange has once again brought attention to the legal and public dispute that began in 2016 after Kangana referred to Hrithik as her "silly ex" during an interview. Hrithik denied that the two had ever been in a relationship, and the disagreement escalated into a prolonged legal battle involving exchanged legal notices, conflicting public statements and allegations concerning emails and other communications. Although the legal controversy dates back nearly a decade, recurring social media discussions continue to bring the issue back into the public spotlight, with the latest online trend prompting yet another round of public responses from both actors.

Also Read: Kangana Ranaut Shares Rare School Throwback As Sita, Reacts To Critics With Message