Bhumi Pednekar Faces Backlash After Former Acting Teacher Calls Her ‘Disrespectful’ in Viral Post

Actress Bhumi Pednekar has landed in a fresh social media controversy after her former acting teacher accused her of being disrespectful during her student days, triggering a divided online debate over personal growth and accountability.

A fresh social media controversy has put actress Bhumi Pednekar in the spotlight after her former acting teacher publicly accused her of being "disrespectful" during her student days. The criticism surfaced amid the ongoing debate surrounding Bhumi's comments on the NEET-UG 2026 protests, adding another layer to the online discussion.

Former Teacher's Post Goes Viral

Shruti Desai, a spiritual psychotherapist who says she briefly taught Bhumi Pednekar at a Mumbai-based film school, shared a strongly-worded Instagram post recalling her experience with the actress.

Addressing Bhumi directly, Desai wrote that she remembered the actor being "disrespectful" and "almost disdainful" towards her teachers during her time as a student. She questioned Bhumi's recent remarks on respect and responsibility, asking what had led to such a significant change in her outlook over the years.

The post quickly gained traction on social media, with screenshots circulating across multiple platforms and sparking widespread debate.

Internet Divided Over the Remarks

The viral post drew mixed reactions from social media users. While some supported Desai for speaking about her personal experience, others felt it was unfair to bring up a person's alleged behaviour from many years ago.

Several users argued that people mature with age and should not be judged solely on incidents from their teenage years. Others, however, believed the former teacher had the right to share her perspective, especially in the context of a public conversation about respect and accountability.

One Instagram user commented, "So according to you, if someone is disrespectful and callous in younger days, should they be the same throughout their life? Never expected this from a teacher."

Another wrote, "I hope Shruti's teacher also comments about how Shruti was when she was 15."

Debate Continues Online

The exchange has fuelled a broader conversation online about personal growth, accountability and whether public figures should be judged based on their past behaviour. Bhumi Pednekar has not publicly responded to Shruti Desai's viral post at the time of writing.