Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri made headlines following Diwali by sharing how his balcony sofa had caught fire after a firecracker entered his home on Sunday. He demanded accountabilty from the officials while saying ‘rockets are not cultural pride,’ only to face backlash over his remarks. Later in the day, the filmmaker announced that he was deleting his post as he did not want to hurt anyone’s cultural or environmental sentiments or become a reason for further outrage.
Vivek Agnihotri deletes post
Taking to X, Agnihotri announced, “I am deleting my previous tweet.” Explaining his decision, he added, “Neither do I want to be the reason for anyone’s outrage nor do I want to enable or weaken anyone’s cultural or environmental narrative.” The filmmaker also extended his Diwali wishes to his followers once again, writing, “Happy Diwali to everyone, once again.”
I am deleting my previous tweet. Neither do I want to be the reason for anyone’s outrage nor do I want to enable or weaken anyone’s cultural or environmental narrative. Happy Diwali to everyone, once again. 🇮🇳 🪔
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) November 9, 2026
Agnihotri’s decision to take down the post came after he faced backlash for dragging culture into the debate while slamming the use of firecrackers during Diwali. His earlier remark had sparked a discussion online as several users questioned his take on the festival and its environmental impact.
Vivek Agnihotri’s now-deleted post
For the unversed, Vivek Agnihotri’s now-deleted post explained a fire scare at his Mumbai residence on November 8. he revealed that an errant firecracker rocket reportedly landed in his balcony and set a sofa ablaze. He added that his pet dogs alerted the family in time. Besides, the sofa’s fire-resistant fabric avoided any bigger accident.
He alsp questioned Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde over her fire safety appeal, writing, “Last night, our balcony sofa caught fire after being hit by an errant rocket. Thankfully, our dogs alerted us in time, and the fire-resistant fabric helped prevent a potentially serious accident.”
Agnihotri added, “Who doesn’t love celebrating Diwali? But errant rockets are not a cultural pride, they are a fire hazard. Our great culture doesn’t permit us to put innocent lives, homes and property at risk.” The filmmaker also called for stricter enforcement of safety rules and accountability from the concerned authorities.
This comes after Dia Mirza’s earlier ad on a pollution-free Diwali was taken down by the BMC, only to be reuploaded again after the Bombay High Court’s order.