Riteish Deshmukh says he was ‘momentarily unemployed’ after TikTok ban in India: ‘Abhi kya karoon?’

Actor Riteish Deshmukh joked that he was temporarily out of work when TikTok was banned in India but breathed a sigh of relief when Instagram introduced its Reels feature. He has been making a lot of funny videos with his wife, actor Genelia D’Souza.

Riteish said that he and Genelia began making videos during the Covid-19 lockdown last year to lighten everyone’s mood as they were going through a grim time. Their posts soon became popular with fans.

Speaking to Mashable India, Riteish said, “It started during the lockdown and it was a time when everyone went through tough times and we thought, ‘Let’s give them a reason to smile,’ and we started cracking jokes at our own expense and people started enjoying it. So that one led to another and I think it’s fun to bring a smile to someone’s face, a happy moment in their life.”

“I started with TikTok and when they banned TikTok, I was momentarily unemployed. I thought, ‘Oh God, abhi kya karoon main? Jo kaam tha woh toh chala gaya.’ Reels aa gaya, maine kaha, ‘Chalo, Reels hi sahi’ (I thought, ‘Oh God, what do I do now? I have no work anymore.’ When Reels was introduced, I was glad),” he added with a laugh.

Riteish and Genelia are seen as the hosts of the second season of Ladies Vs Gentlemen, which is currently streaming on Flipkart Video. The interactive show pits men and women against each other to guess how the people of India feel about certain topics.

Also see | Watch Riteish Deshmukh jump in as troll calls Genelia D’Souza ‘vulgar aunty’: ‘Inka naam kya tha?’

Riteish is known for films such as Masti, Kyaa Kool Hai Hum, Heyy Babyy, Housefull and Ek Villain. He was last seen on the big screen in a supporting role in Baaghi 3, starring Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor. The box office run of the film was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic. His upcoming projects include Plan A Plan B, Kakuda and Visfot.