Hyderabad: Prabhas’ ‘Fauji’ co-star Imanvi became a target of trolls post the Pahalgam attack on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent people.
Following the deadly terrorist attack, rumours started doing the rounds that Imanvi hails from Pakistan and her family has links with the Pakistan military establishment.
Breaking her silence on the rumours, Imanvi shared a long note on her Instagram handle stating that she has no connection with the Pakistani military and that haters are just spreading lies about her online.
“First and foremost, I want to express my most sincere and heartfelt condolences for the tragic event that took place in Pahalgam. My heart goes out to all those who lost their lives and their loved ones. Any loss of innocent life is tragic and weighs heavy on my heart. I strongly condemn the violent acts. As someone whose mission has always been to spread light and love through art, I hope to see a day soon where we can all come together as one,” Imanvi wrote offering her condolences to the victims.
Addressing the rumours about her identity, she added, “I also want to address rumours and lies that have been falsely spread about my family and my identity via fake news sources and online media in order to create division and spread hate. Firstly, nobody in my family has ever been or is currently associated with the Pakistani military in any way. This and multiple other falsehoods have been fabricated by online trolls for the sole purpose of spreading hate. What is especially disappointing is that legitimate news outlets, journalists and those on social media failed to investigate their source material and instead have simply repeated these slanderous statements.”
She continued, “I am a proud Indian American who speaks Hindi, Telugu, Gujarati and English. I was born in Los Angeles, California after my parents legally immigrated to the United States as youth. Soon after they became American citizens. Upon completing my university education in the USA, I pursued a career in the arts as an actor, choreographer and dancer. After much work in this realm, I am much grateful to receive opportunities to work in the Indian film industry. The same film industry has been a great influence in my life, and I hope to add to the incredible legacy of the trailblazers that came before me. As someone who has Indian identity and culture running deep in my blood, I hope to use this medium as a form of unity and divisiveness.”
“I will work hard to ensure that this legacy carries on through my work and uplifts the experiences of my Indian heritage. Lots of love, Imanvi,” the actress concluded.
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Directed by Hanu and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, ‘Fauji’ also stars Mithun Chakraborty and Jaya Prada in key roles.