Film actor Omar Sani’s recent remark about Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi has triggered widespread discussion and criticism on social media. In a Facebook post, Sani referred to Messi as “disabled”, prompting strong reactions from fans and fellow celebrities.
Among those who responded was presenter, actor and producer Shahriar Nazim Joy. On his verified Facebook account, Joy wrote, “Omar Sani called Messi disabled. I used to watch Moushumi and Omar Sani’s films in the 1990s. Now I understand why Moushumi beat him.”
Joy’s comment appeared to allude to an old controversy involving Sani and actress Moushumi, further fueling online discussion.
In response, Omar Sani shared a strongly worded Facebook post directed at Joy. Warning him to be careful, Sani wrote, “Listen, Shahriar Nazim Joy. Your sister used a cotton whip during the shooting. I have ordered an original whip to beat you. Be ready.”
The post quickly drew attention across social media, with many users expressing concern over the actor’s choice of words.
Joy later responded with another Facebook post featuring an AI-generated image depicting Omar Sani holding a whip. Alongside the image, he wrote, “Omar Sani, why are so many people whipping him? For no reason.”
The AI-generated image, which showed Sani apparently whipping Joy, quickly went viral and became the subject of memes and humorous comments from netizens. However, Joy attempted to clarify the intent of the post by ending it with the caption, "Subject: Sports Fun," suggesting that he viewed the exchange as a joke rather than a serious confrontation.
Despite the clarification, the back-and-forth between the two public figures has continued to generate debate online, with social media users divided over whether the posts were harmless banter or crossed the line into personal attacks.