Nidhhi Agerwal reacts after Sivaji insinuates she ‘provoked’ mob with dress, Samantha Ruth Prabhu was ‘luckily’ in saree

Actor Sivaji held a press meet in Hyderabad on Wednesday after intense backlash. He spoke about Nidhhi Agerwal's mobbing incident.

Telugu actor Sivaji held a press conference in Hyderabad on Wednesday to reiterate his stance on the importance of actresses dressing modestly when attending events. He seemed to blame Nidhhi Agerwal for ‘provoking’ the mob with her outfit, while ironically saying Samantha Ruth Prabhu was ‘luckily’ in a saree. Nidhhi broke her silence on the issue. (Also Read: Sivaji doubles down on his statement about actresses dressing modestly: ‘What if Niddhi Agerwal's clothes had slipped?’)

Nidhhi Agerwal was recently mobbed by fans at an event for The Raja Saab.

Nidhhi Agerwal reacts to Sivaji’s statement

On December 17, Nidhhi went to Lulu Mall in Hyderabad with the team of her upcoming film, The Raja Saab, for a song launch. A video from the event shows her and her security struggling in the crowd as she’s mobbed by numerous men. The actor can be seen looking shaken by it as she gets into her car. After Sivaji’s press meet, Nidhhi broke her silence for the first time on the issue. Posting a picture of hers from the event, she wrote, “Blaming the victim is called manipulation,” without addressing him.

Nidhhi Agerwal's note on her Instagram stories.

Sivaji doubles down on statement

Sivaji reiterated his statement at the press conference. When asked why he’s asking actresses to dress modestly instead of asking the men to behave, he replied. “Who will listen? He says he will still talk to her or click pictures.” He also claimed that he wasn’t ‘blaming’ Nidhhi or Samantha for what had happened to them, despite seemingly doing so later.

When asked about how Samantha was mobbed despite wearing a saree on December 21 at a store opening, the actor replied, “Samantha had the advantage; she was luckily in a saree. Gen Z do not know better, they want to touch artists. Even Sridevi was once touched in Tenali when she was shooting there. I am not blaming Samantha or Nidhhi for it. All I am saying is, they need to be careful. What if Nidhhi’s clothes had slipped? Nobody would even remove the video if we asked them to.”

When reporters kept questioning him about how women are harassed no matter how they’re dressed, he flipped it and said, “A lot of people asked on social media if anyone ever touched Sai Pallavi, Anushka, Soundarya, Bhumika, or Laya and Meera Jasmine? They all dress modestly. Do not provoke; men will feel like they can touch you when you do so. Why give them that opportunity? Dress however you feel like, but I am just pointing out facts.”

Ever since Sivaji first stated on Monday that actresses should dress modestly or in sarees while attending events, he has drawn flak from people, including celebrities.