Prabhas' fans rally behind Imanvi as actor denies links to Pakistani military: ‘falsehoods have been fabricated’

ACtor Iman Esmail, also known as Imanvi, took to societal media endure nighttime to call the swirling rumours surrounding her heritage, followers the tragic terror attacks in Pahalgam. The rising Tollywood star and superstar Prabhas' newest co-star in Fauji made a firm statement to clear the air about her background and to condemn the hateful narratives being spread about her family.In the post, Imanvi began by expressing her deepest condolences for the victims of the Pahalgam attacks in Jammu and Kashmir: “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 wrote.However, the focus of her post was to address the false rumours that had been circulating about her family’s alleged ties to the Pakistani military. The claims, which emerged in the wake of the terror attacks, suggested that Imanvi had Pakistani roots and that her family was involved with the military of Pakistan. In her statement, Imanvi was clear in denying these accusations: “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,” she wrote.Imanvi, who has been in the public eye for her talent and work in the Indian film industry, also shared details about her personal background, aiming to set the record straight. “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,” she explained.She further emphasised the depth of her Indian identity, stating, “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.” Imanvi concluded her post with a heartfelt commitment to her heritage: “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.”Prabhas fans show up in supportImanvi’s post, however, did not go unchallenged. Despite her strong denial, many critics continued to accuse her of fabricating facts, questioning her background and family’s connections, claiming that she was from Karachi, Pakistan, and that her father had been involved in the Pakistani military. “Hold on, I can distinctly remember your bio having both flags and you saying you are half Indian and half Pakistani. For years I saw that. What happened?!” said one comment under her post. Another comment stated, “usually don’t even comment on influencers’ things on social media, but I definitely do remember loving your dance content for a long time because 1.) you are incredibly talented m’A but 2.) you always said you were a half Pakistani, half Indian, and Ismaili choreographer. I never saw someone with such talent who represented both Pakistan/India and the Muslim community before. You came and taught in Atlanta as “Iman Esmail,” not Imanvi.” Another comment was a little more emotionally charged stating, “I followed you for being an incredible dancer. Loved that you were both Indian and Pakistani. To see you deny your heritage just because of a career move feels disingenuous to me. I could never deny my own heritage because of a career move. Its quite sad as I was a huge fan of yours. This is only further adding to the discourse between the two countries 💔 Nothing wrong with changing your name or whatever, but to make up lies now and drop everything you branded yourself on before just because you are part of a political movie is sad. Lost respect today ❤️‍🩹.”Yet, one fanbase stood unwavering in their support for the young actress: Prabhas' loyal following. Fans of the Tollywood superstar were quick to flood social media with messages of solidarity. “Prabhas fans Full support 😍,” wrote one follower. Another added, “Ignore the trolls mam. Waiting for your character in the Prabhas-Hanu movie. Big fan mam ❤️.” Yet another fan expressed: “Don’t worry madam full support from Prabhas Die hard fans🔥❤️✊ #Rebelwood.”As for Fauji, Prabhas' much-anticipated upcoming film with director Hanu Raghavapudi, the period drama will see Imanvi take on a significant role alongside Prabhas. The cast also features Mithun Chakraborty and Jaya Prada in key roles. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, the film is set in the 1940s and is described as a historical fiction/alternate history, following the journey of a warrior who rises from the shadows to confront long-buried injustices. The makers have not issued any statement with respect to this controversy.