The incident took place during a public function when Sivakumar was inaugurating a venue.
Sivakumar apologises after video of him knocking down fan's phone goes viral
Chennai - 30 Oct 2018 17:18 IST
Manigandan KR
Actor Sivakumar, who is the father of two of the top stars of the Tamil film industry - Suriya and Karthi, has apologised for violently knocking down the phone of a fan who was trying to click a selfie with him.
The incident took place during a public function when Sivakumar was inaugurating a venue. As he was about to cut the ribbon, a fan standing next to him tried to click a selfie. Sivakumar violently knocked the phone off the fan's hands. On 29 October, a video of the incident went viral on social media and several users condemned the actor's actions.
Stunned by the backlash, Sivakumar initially tried to defend himself in an interview with Behind Woods.
The statement read, “Taking selfies is something that involves one's own interests as it might be something to relish at a later point in time. I have no claims to make upon one’s personal interests. But when it comes to treating a socialite or a celebrity, it shouldn’t be the same. They deserve their private space and respect.
"On this particular occasion, it so happened that from the moment I stepped out of the car till the time I reached the venue which was filled with 200-300 people, I felt a little disappointed as around 20-25 people were clicking selfies after pushing volunteers and guards who were accompanying me."
The actor added that fans should take permission before taking pictures with artistes and that a celebrity cannot be treated or taken for granted as public property.
"Moreover, I do not urge anyone to accept me as their leader or inspiring hero. Everyone is a hero in their own lives with their own ideologies, but at the same time, we should think at least for a while about how some of our deeds might affect others.”
However, later he tendered an apology in a video clip. "Eager fans will tend to behave in this excited fashion while in the midst of an uncontrollable crowd. A popular artiste will have to tolerate all of that. Should a majority of you feel that 'No matter what, Sivakumar's act of knocking the phone out of a fan's hands was wrong,' I hereby express my heartfelt apologies for my action. I am very sorry," he said.
