Nidhhi slams victim-blaming after Sivaji suggests outfit ‘provoked’ mob

Telugu actor Nidhhi Agerwal has responded strongly after Sivaji, speaking at a press conference in Hyderabad, appeared to blame her for being mobbed at a recent public event.

The controversy began after Nidhhi attended a song launch for her upcoming film The Raja Saab at Lulu Mall in Hyderabad on December 17, where a video showed her struggling to get into her car as a large crowd surrounded her.

At the press meet, actor Sivaji emphasized his belief that actresses should dress modestly at events.

He controversially implied that Nidhhi’s outfit had “provoked” the mob, while contrasting that Samantha Ruth Prabhu was “luckily” in a saree during a separate incident.

When questioned about men harassing women regardless of attire, Sivaji doubled down, suggesting that dressing modestly reduces such risks, citing other actresses like Sai Pallavi and Anushka Sharma as examples.

Breaking her silence, Nidhhi posted a picture from the event on social media with the caption, “Blaming the victim is called manipulation,” without directly mentioning Sivaji.

Sivaji, however, continued to defend his stance, claiming he wasn’t blaming Nidhhi or Samantha, but advising caution.

He said, “What if Nidhhi’s clothes had slipped? Nobody would even remove the video if we asked them to,” and added, “Gen Z do not know better, they want to touch artists.Even Sridevi was once touched in Tenali when she was shooting there.”

His comments have drawn widespread criticism online and from celebrities, reigniting debates about victim-blaming and the safety of women in public spaces.

Nidhhi Agerwal is an Indian actress and former model who has carved a notable place for herself across Hindi, Telugu and Tamil cinema through a mix of high‑profile debuts and commercially successful films.

She first gained attention after participating in Miss Diva Universe in 2014, which helped launch her into acting. Agerwal made her Bollywood debut in 2017 opposite Tiger Shroff in Munna Michael, a role that earned her the Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut and marked a promising start to her career.

After transitioning to South Indian films, she debuted in Telugu cinema with Savyasachi (2018) and later starred in iSmart Shankar (2019), a major commercial success that ran for over 100 days and significantly raised her profile in Tollywood.

She has since acted in a variety of projects including Mr. Majnu (2019), her Tamil debut Eeswaran (2021), Bhoomi (2021), Hero (2022) and the acclaimed Kalaga Thalaivan (2022), showcasing her versatility across genres.

Agerwal’s rising popularity is reflected not only in box‑office success but also in industry recognition, with award nominations such as the SIIMA nomination for Best Female Debut – Telugu for Savyasachi.

Her training in ballet, Kathak and belly dance, combined with her work across multiple film industries, has helped her build a diverse and growing body of work. Most recently, she has garnered attention for her role in the upcoming pan‑India project The Raja Saab alongside Prabhas, underlining her continued rise in Indian cinema.