Sivaji, while promoting the film Dhandoraa, used a couple of unparliamentary words related to women’s dressing. What started as a casual comment quickly escalated into a major controversy. Several women from the industry, along with a few men, raised objections and took the matter to the MAA Association. Eventually, the issue reached the Women’s Commission, which directed Sivaji to appear before them and give an explanation.
Sivaji later addressed the Telugu media and spoke at length. He clearly expressed regret over his remarks and apologized without hesitation. At the same time, he stood by his core argument. He maintained that women should dress decently in public, stating that this is advice often given by elders and society at large, mainly from a safety perspective. According to him, there was nothing wrong in talking about dress sense in public spaces.
During the same media interaction, Sivaji also reacted to Anasuya’s comments. He questioned her involvement in the issue and asked why she chose to intervene now. He also pointed out her silence during the earlier Nidhi Agarwal incident.
Anasuya responded strongly soon after. She released a long video, calling Sivaji misogynistic and criticizing his mindset. She made it clear that dressing has nothing to do with safety and stressed that clothing is a matter of personal freedom. She said everyone has the right to wear what they want. She also mentioned that while she could have called for a press meet, she chose to address the issue through a video instead.
As expected, social media reactions were sharply divided. A section of women supported Anasuya, while men backed Sivaji. The debate continues online, with strong opinions on both sides.
Hopefully, the issue ends here and both parties choose to move on.
