Sai Pallavi’s support to Pakistan sparks controversary

Actress Sai Pallavi, who is set to portray Sita in Nitesh Tiwari's ‘Ramayana’, has come under fire after an old video of her resurfaced online.  

In the clip, she remarks that the Indian army is viewed as a “terrorist group” in Pakistan, highlighting a contentious perception that exists between the two nations. In a video that has gone viral, Pallavi can be heard saying, “People in Pakistan think our army is a terrorist group. But for us, it is them. So, the perspective changes. I don't understand violence.” The viral clip originates from an interview conducted in January 2022. As the video reemerged, netizens reacted with anger towards her remarks and condemned the actress for her comments.

One angry user wrote, “Historian Sai Pallavi is back! Comparing Kashmiri Hindu genocide to cattle smuggling—brilliant insight, right? And now, she’s cast as Mata Sita? Bollywood’s casting is on fire… but not in a good way! At this rate, they’ll be left with an audience of one: their PR team!” Another said, “So sad this Communist Sai Pallavi is playing the role of Sita Ma in Ramayana.” Meanwhile, in ‘Ramayana’, Sai Pallavi is set to share the screen with Ranbir Kapoor.

The project marks both actors' first onscreen collaboration. ‘KGF’ star Yash plays Ravana in the film, which is touted to be one of the biggest films. Sunny Deol will reportedly play Lord Hanuman. ‘Ramayana’ marks Sai Pallavi’s highly awaited Bollywood debut.

The actress is also gearing up for the release of her Tamil film ‘Amaran’, directed by Rajkumar Periasamy. The film, which is an adaptation of India's Most Fearless: True Stories of Modern Military by Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh, is produced by Kamal Haasan. Also starring Sivakarthikeyan, the movie is slated to hit theatres on October 31.