Karan Johar went on Twitter to apologise on Saturday for sharing videos of himself and his family, which he thought “may have been insensitive” and “may have lacked emotional foresight”, in light of the troubles of the average non-celebrity during the pandemic.

Johar’s apology was inspired by Australian comedian Greta Lee Jackson’s video, which mocked celebrities for posting tone-deaf videos filled with vapid inspirational messages, or promoting their lifestyle choices during the ongoing lockdown.

Jackson’s video featured average citizens and frontline workers explaining how the pandemic has left them high and dry. In the end they sardonically thank celebrities for their attempts to spread cheer in people’s lives. The video ended with Jackson asking celebrities to give everyone their money.

Among the celebrities who take a beating in the video is comedian-television host Ellen DeGeneres, who compared living in isolation to “being in prison”, while crew members working on The Ellen DeGeneres Show were reported to have been kept in the dark about salaries and working hours after production in the studio was shut down and shifted to DeGeneres’s home.

Jackson’s video met with great approval and support from Twitter users.

Earlier, filmmaker Farah Khan had criticised Indian celebrities for posting videos of themselves working out from their plush mansions. “I can understand that you all are privileged, and you don’t have any other worries in this global pandemic except for looking after your figures,” Khan had said. “But some of us, most of us, have bigger concerns during this crisis.”

Around the same time, a video of Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot and assorted celebrities singing John Lennon’s Imagine was met with ridicule online. A similar video featuring Bollywood celebrities followed.