Good you'll never age: Actor Suzanne Bernert slams Richa Chadha's 'buddhe' post

Actor Suzanne Bernert has criticised Richa Chadha over her controversial social media post referring to senior citizens as "buddhe". The controversy began after Chadha expressed support for a young protester involved in demonstrations over irregularities in the NEET exam and clashes with police.

Reacting to the actor's remarks, which drew sharp criticism for mocking age-related health issues, Bernert wrote, "Good that you will never age. Congratulations (clap emoji)," as the post continued to spark a heated debate online.

While some users agreed with Chadha's broader point that respect should be earned through behaviour rather than age alone, others said her wording was offensive and mocked elderly people and age-related health problems. The post drew thousands of reactions over the weekend, with criticism and support appearing across social media platforms.

The controversy began after Chadha expressed support for a young protester involved in demonstrations over irregularities in the NEET exam and clashes with police.

In her post, she wrote, “Please don’t respect buddhe just because they’re senior citizens some look like they have developed Bhakti-dementia. It makes them delusional that they can take on the young, when they can’t even kaato a night without 5 trips to the bathroom. Don’t automatically respect them because of their age; they were just born before you. Let them earn it. Leave some food on a newspaper at the corner of the road at a safe distance. Don’t engage.”

Her remarks came after Rashtriya Janta Dal spokesperson Priyanka Bharti praised a young protester’s comments directed at an elderly participant at the demonstration.

Chadha's post was criticised by several users, including some who said they agreed that respect should be earned but objected to the way Chadha framed her point. One user wrote, “Yeah, don’t respect people just because they’re old. Respect should be earned. But what kind of an empathyless statement is this? ‘When they can’t even kaato a night without 5 trips to the bathroom’ Mocking elderly for having age-related health issues says more about u than them (sic).”

Another on commented, “Just like your Bollywood career, no one takes you seriously. You always gave anti-national vibes, and u did not disappoint (sic).”

“Don’t worry, you will also become a budhi after some years. Karma knows your address (sic)," read one comment.

The row has also reopened the question whether respect should come with age or be earned through conduct. Even among those who agreed with the principle behind Chadha’s message, many questioned the tone of the post and said criticism should not turn into mockery of health issues commonly linked with ageing.

Meanwhile, Richa Chadha has been among the film personalities who have publicly supported the protest over NEET irregularities. Over the past few weeks, she has shared several posts backing the protesters, questioned the handling of the issue and called for accountability and education reforms.