‘Proud Indian’: ‘Fauji’ actor Imanvi hits back at calls for removal from Prabhas film

Social media personality and rising star Imanvi Ismail, who is all set to make her debut opposite Prabhas in the Hanu Raghavapudi directorial tentatively titled Fauji, has found herself at the center of controversy. 

Following the tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed innocent lives, a section of social media users began targeting Muslim artists—including Imanvi—with baseless accusations. Among the false claims circulating online was the assertion that Imanvi is Pakistani and should be removed from the film. However, there is no evidence supporting these allegations.

In response, Imanvi took to Instagram to express her heartfelt condolences to the victims of the Pahalgam attack and to denounce the violence. In the same post, she addressed the rumors about her identity, making it clear that she is not Pakistani and has no familial ties to the Pakistani military.

Her post reads, "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."

Imanvi shared that she is a proud Indian-American, born in Los Angeles to parents who legally immigrated to the U.S. and later became citizens. She is fluent in Hindi, Telugu, Gujarati, and English and has long held a deep connection to Indian culture. Grateful for the opportunity to work in Indian cinema, she emphasized her cultural roots and artistic aspirations.

She wrote, "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."

Earlier today, reports suggests that Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor's upcoming film ‘Abir Gulal’ will not be allowed to release in India, as per government sources. The film was slated to release on May 9. The movie faced boycott calls in the wake of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.