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The recent terror attack in Pahalgam has left the nation in grief. Amid this collective mourning, some social media users began trending against Imanvi Ismail, who is making her Telugu debut.
Imanvi Ismail stars alongside Prabhas in “Fauji,” directed by Hanu Raghavapudi. Trolls on social media falsely claimed she was of Pakistani origin and demanded her removal from the project or a ban on the film.
After a full day of relentless trolling, Imanvi broke her silence with a heartfelt statement on Instagram.
Expressing her deep condolences to the victims of the Pahalgam attack, calling the violence “heartbreaking,” she condemned the terrorist act.
Further, she denied the rumors that she is a Pakistani.
Imvani stated that she is a proud Indian-American, born and raised in Los Angeles. Her parents legally immigrated to the United States and later became citizens. She speaks Hindi, Telugu, Gujarati, and English and has always cherished her Indian heritage.
Here is what Imanvi posted on her social media handle:
“First and foremost, I want to express my most sincere and heartfelt condolences for the tragic event that took place in Pahalgam. My heart goes out to all those who lost their lives and their loved ones. Any loss of innocent life is tragic and weighs heavy on my heart. I strongly condemn the violent acts. As someone whose mission has always been to spread light and love through art, I hope to see a day soon where we can all come together as one.
I also want to address rumors and lies that have been falsely spread about my identity and my family via fake news sources and online media in order to create division and spread hate. Firstly, nobody in my family has ever been or is currently associated with the Pakistani military in any way. This and multiple other falsehoods have been fabricated by online trolls for the sole purpose of spreading hate. What is especially disappointing is that legitimate news outlets, journalists, and those on social media failed to investigate their source material and instead have simply repeated these slanderous statements.
I am a proud Indian American who speaks Hindi, Telugu, Gujarati, and English. I was born in Los Angeles, California after my parents legally immigrated to the United States as youth. Soon after they became American citizens.
Upon completing my university education in the USA, I pursued a career in the arts as an actor, choreographer, and dancer. After much work in this realm, I am incredibly grateful to receive opportunities to work in the Indian film industry. This same film industry has been a great influence in my life, and I hope to add to the incredible legacy of the trailblazers that came before me. As someone who has Indian identity and culture running deep in my blood, I hope to use this medium as a form of unity and not divisiveness.
As we mourn tragic loss of life, let’s continue to spread love and uplift one another. Throughout history, art has been a medium that creates awareness, empathy, and connection across cultures, people, and experiences. I will work hard to ensure that this legacy carries on through my work and uplifts the experiences of my Indian heritage.
Lots of love, Imanvi.”
