Actor Kasthuri Shankar has filed for anticipatory bail at the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday, November 11 after a complaint was lodged against her at the Thiru Nagar police station in Madurai. The complaint was filed by one Nadar Mahajana Sangam for her derogatory and casteist remarks about Telugu migrants living in Tamil Nadu.
Kasthuri’s bail application is scheduled for a hearing on November 12 before Justice Anand Venkatesh. In her petition, Kasthuri stated, “Despite my apologies for my remarks about Telugu people, a case has been registered against me due to political reasons.”
A self-identified Hindu right-wing supporter, Kasthuri sparked controversy during a rally against “Brahmin persecution” held in Chennai on November 3.
She argued that the Brahmin community is facing persecution from Dravidian ideology. Without naming leaders of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), she claimed that Telugu-speaking women, whom she described as having come to Tamil Nadu as “concubines” to kings centuries ago, are now identifying as Tamils and criticizing Brahmins as “invaders.”
“The Telugu-speaking people who came to serve as concubines to a king 300 years ago are now claiming themselves to belong to the Tamil race. Who are you [Dravidians] to tell us Brahmins that we are not Tamils?” she remarked. She further alleged that she faced discrimination in Kollywood for being Brahmin, denied the history of caste oppression, and spoke of “Brahmin genocide.”
Her statements led to widespread backlash, particularly from the Telugu community, resulting in multiple complaints. On November 5, an FIR was registered against her at the Egmore F-2 police station under sections BNS 192 (provocation with intent to cause riot), 196(1)(a) (promoting enmity between groups based on religion, race, etc.), 353(1)(b), and 353(2) (criminal intimidation).
Reports indicate that she has been unreachable since the police summons, with her phone turned off.
In response to the backlash, which included condemnation from the BJP, Kasthuri issued an apology on November 5, stating that her comments were “specific to certain individuals and not directed at the broader Telugu community.”