Actor Kasturi Shankar stoked controversy by saying, "The Telugu-speaking community came as assistants to the king’s consort and later adopted a Tamil identity,” while engaging in divisive politics." She made the comments during a speech she delivered at a protest meeting on November 3.

Actor Kasthuri Shankar, who has also worked with Kamal Haasan in his 1996 film Indian, is absconding after a police complaint against her for hurting the sentiments of Telugu community with her statements at an event.