Tirupati: Actor Vijay Deverakonda faced strong backlash in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday as protests erupted during the trailer launch event of his upcoming film Kingdom in Tirupati. The event, held at Nehru Municipal Grounds ahead of the film’s worldwide release on July 31, was disrupted by members of tribal organizations over the actor’s past remarks referring to “tribes.”
The protestors objected to Deverakonda’s comments made during the pre-release event of Tamil actor Suriya’s film Retro, in which he referred to “tribes” while condemning a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. “For centuries, conflicts existed between two groups, and that’s why I used the term ‘tribes,’” Deverakonda had said.
Tribal groups criticized the remark, alleging it was insulting and derogatory, and warned they would obstruct the Kingdom promotional event. In response, police deployed tight security at the venue to prevent any law and order issues. Despite the protests, no untoward incidents were reported.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered against Vijay Deverakonda under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act at the Rayadurgam Police Station in Hyderabad following a complaint over the remarks.
Amid the controversy, Deverakonda issued a clarification stating that his comments were not directed at present-day Scheduled Tribes but were in reference to ancient tribal communities that existed before modern civilization. “If anyone was hurt by my words, I sincerely apologize,” he added.