Actor Khushi Mukherjee has again landed in the middle of a fresh controversy linked to Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav after a defamation row picked up pace online.

The development comes after Suryakumar Yadav’s fan and social media influencer Faizan Ansari claimed to have filed an INR 100 crore defamation case. Against that backdrop, Khushi issued a warning, stating that if Suryakumar Yadav loses the defamation case, she would file an INR 500 crore case against him. At the same time, she reiterated that the two had previously spoken in a friendly manner and maintained that there was nothing inappropriate about it.

‘There is nothing wrong in chatting. My words came out, but there was no defamation’

Khushi insisted that everyday conversations should not be turned into a controversy. She claimed that people from different professions speak to her casually, including cricketers, and added that non-married individuals from varied backgrounds interact with her.

She also maintained that she has not defamed anyone, describing herself as “very soft spoken”. Khushi further said she does not even know who has filed the defamation case and added that she has not received any legal notice so far.

Earlier, Khushi clarified that she never meant to defame the Indian T20I captain, though she admitted her comment may not have been necessary. She acknowledged having spoken to Suryakumar in the past, there was no intention to malign him.

“Mere moonh se baat nikal gayi ki haan, baat hoti thi, shayad nahi nikalna chahiye tha. Par usme defamation wali koi baat nahi thi. " (It just slipped out of my mouth that yes, we used to talk — maybe I shouldn’t have said it. But there was nothing defamatory in that), she told Instant Bollywood, explaining that while she acknowledged having spoken to Suryakumar in the past, there was no intent to malign him.

Reacting to reports of legal action, Khushi reiterated that she has not received any defamation notice till now. According to her, the issue has been exaggerated by social media chatter and television debates.

“I mean, baat hoti thi, theek hai, sach hai. Defamation? No, I haven't received any defamation, and I don't think in any way I have defamed him," (I mean, yes, we used to talk — that’s true. Defamation? No. I haven’t received any defamation notice, and I don’t believe I have defamed him in any way) she said.

Khushi also took a swipe at those amplifying the controversy, calling them opportunistic influencers looking for visibility. She accused some individuals of “warming their hands at the bonfire.”

“Aur rahi baat baaki, kuch aise saste se jo influencers hain, woh bonfire mein haath sekne ke liye aa gaye aur bhaukne lag gaye. So, let them bark, that's all I can say," ( As for the rest, there are some cheap, low-grade influencers who’ve come just to warm their hands by the bonfire and have started barking. So let them bark that’s all I can say) she remarked bluntly.

The controversy began after Khushi claimed in an interview that Suryakumar Yadav “used to message her a lot,” while clarifying that there was never any other relationship between them. The remark quickly went viral, leading to backlash and, eventually, Faizan Ansari’s announcement of an INR 100 crore defamation suit.