Tamil actor blasts reporter for ‘sleeveless' comment, questions media silence

India Today

20-05-2025

Aishwarya Raghupathi, Tamil actor and anchor, hit back at the media fraternity for staying silent when she was questioned about her attire. She put out a statement in connection with an incident that occurred two weeks ago when a reporter publicly questioned her outfit at a film release event.At a promotional event for a movie, Aishwarya, who was hosting the show, urged the media to take precautions against the peak summer heat. In response, a reporter from the crowd asked her if the sleeveless blouse she was wearing was also part of her plan to beat the heat. Taken aback, Aishwarya hesitated and questioned why her attire had become a point of discussion at a movie event.advertisementThe reporter, defending his question, said he meant to highlight that cotton sarees were suitable for summer and insisted she could simply reply with a 'yes' or 'no.' Aishwarya later said she didn't know how to respond at the moment and pointed out that there's a time and place for such questions.On Monday, when she took the stage once again at another event, Aishwarya directly addressed the controversy. 'It took me five seconds to realise you asked if I wore sleeveless to feel the breeze. I didn't know whether to respond in anger or stay calm. I may not have reacted then, but the people did,' she said, referring to the online backlash the reporter faced.She also slammed the reporter's Facebook post defending his question, calling it a 'crooked justification,' and questioned the kind of values such behaviour reflects. 'Do men like you think you can overpower me because I stayed patient?' she asked.advertisementAs she spoke, some reporters in the audience attempted to interrupt and defend their colleague. But Aishwarya stood her ground, calling out the silence of the media during the original incident. 'What was the link between drinking water and my saree? Why didn't any of you question him then?' she asked.Her remarks were cut short when the event organisers asked her to move on to the next segment.Last week, she also put out a statement on Instagram addressing the issue. "It's disheartening that even today, many men in our society still carry a sense of male ego and chauvinism. What's even more disappointing is when such behavior comes from someone like a reporter, who should know better," she wrote.
This wasn't the first time she had faced uncomfortable moments on stage. At an earlier event, Aishwarya said an actor had crossed personal boundaries while trying to garland her, an incident that she said affected her mental health.Aishwarya was seen in Dhanush-starrer 2024 release, Captain Miller.
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