Prabhas’ upcoming film, directed by Hanu Raghavapudi, was officially announced last year, featuring the actor alongside Iman Esmail, known as Imanvi. Recently, Imanvi has been thrust into the spotlight following the tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, amid rumors claiming she is of Pakistani descent with family ties to the Pakistani military. Addressing these allegations, the actor posted an extensive note on her Instagram account.
Imanvi began her statement by expressing her condolences for the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, writing, “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.”
She then tackled the alleged misinformation surrounding her identity, stating, “I also want to address rumours and lies that have been falsely spread about my family and my identity 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.”
Her post continued, “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 much grateful to receive opportunities to work in the Indian film industry. The 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 divisiveness.” Concluding her message, Imanvi affirmed, “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.”
Imanvi is set to star in the upcoming period drama directed by Hanu Raghavapudi, produced by Mythri Movie Makers, with Mithun Chakraborty and Jaya Prada in pivotal roles. According to an excerpt from the film’s synopsis, “This historical fiction/alternate history set in the 1940’s is the tale of a warrior who rose from the shadows, emerging from a society that believed war was the only answer to the buried injustices and forgotten truths that history kept hidden from the world.”
Strangely enough, many comments pointed out the fact that Imanvi had the Pakistani flag in her bio but, in her statement, she made no mention of Pakistan at all apart from the sentence where she denounced any connection of her family to the Pakistani Army, but not the country itself. You can look at the these comments in the screenshots above.
See Also: Indian Navy Officer Killed In Pahalgam Terror Attack A Week After Wedding; Wife Bids Emotional Goodbye