After Sai Pallavi’s comments on the Kashmiri Pandits' genocide in the 1990s and recent mob lynching incidents triggered a big debate online, the actor released a video on Instagram to clarify that she did not mean to belittle any tragedy, and had only meant to say that violence of any kind is wrong. “This is the first time I’ll be thinking twice before I speak my heart because I feel my words might be misinterpreted so forgive me if I take longer than usual to communicate my thoughts,” Sai Pallavi says in the beginning of the four-minute video.
“In a recent interview, I was asked if I was a supporter of the left or the right-wing. I clearly stated that I believe I'm neutral. We need to be good human beings first before we identify ourselves with our beliefs and that the oppressed need to be protected at any cost," Sai Pallavi says, speaking about the interview she gave a few days ago to a Telugu YouTube channel ahead of the release of her film Virata Parvam. Sai Pallavi plays a woman who falls in love with a Naxal leader and writer in her upcoming film.
She says in the video that she had quoted two references that had a huge impact on her, and left her traumatised for days. The actor says in the video that she saw filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files three months ago and that she spoke to him and said was disturbed by the plight of Kashmiri Pandits that was shown in the movie.
"I remember telling him (Agnihotri) that I was disturbed seeing the plight of the people at that time. And being someone that I am, I would never belittle tragedy like the genocide and the generations of people who are still affected by it," she says. ”Having said that, I can never come to terms with the mob lynching incident during COVID times. I remember seeing that video and being shaken for days. I believe that violence in any form is wrong and violence in the name of any religion is a huge sin," the actor says.
Sai Pallavi’s clarification comes a day after a police complaint was filed against her in Hyderabad over her remarks. During the interview, Sai Pallavi had talked about The Kashmir Files and had said that their genocide and the recent incidents of lynching of suspected cow smugglers are both wrong, and that violence of any kind should be condemned. She had said, "The film, The Kashmir Files, shows how Kashmiri Pandits were killed. Recently, there was an incident of a person being killed for carrying a cow because he was suspected to be a Muslim. After killing the person, the attackers raised 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans. Where is the difference between what happened in Kashmir and what happened recently?"
In her clarification, the actor, known for films like Premam, Maari 2 and Shyam Singha Roy, said it was extremely disturbing to see many people justify the mob lynching incident online. "It was very disturbing to see that many people online justifying the mob lynching incident and I don’t think any of us have the right to take another person’s life. Being a medical graduate, I believe that all lives are equal and all lives are important,” she says in the video.
"I hope a day doesn't come when a child is born and he or she is scared of his or her identity. And I pray that we are not heading towards that, at least. Fourteen years of my life, my school life, I remember every day going to school and chanting, 'All Indians are my brothers and sisters, I love my country'… It went so deep in my head… We as children would never differentiate each other based on culture or caste or religion. So anytime I speak, it comes from a very neutral ground. I was very surprised to see that whatever I had spoken was taken in a completely different way. It was also upsetting to see many prominent personalities and websites had carried a snippet of the previous interview I had given even without seeing the complete interview and the genuineness behind what was said,” she adds.
The actor also thanked those spoke out in support of her. "I remember feeling so alone and conflicted wondering what I did wrong. It was heartwarming to see so many people raise their voice in my support and I felt like they knew me for who I am. So thank you so much for making me feel like I wasn't alone," she concludes.
Actor Prakash Raj extended support to Sai Pallavi. Quoting her tweet which had her clarification video, Prakash Raj tweeted: "Humanity first! We are with you Sai Pallavi."
Watch her full video here:
Humanity first … we are with you @Sai_Pallavi92 https://t.co/6Zip4FJPv3
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) June 19, 2022