Kasthuri Shankar, who acted in Telugu films such as Chilakkottudu and Nippu Ravva in the 1990s, has been outspoken about politics in Tamil Nadu. She has been a vociferous anti-DMK voice. The former heroine has now been accused of passing derogatory comments about the Telugu-speaking people in Tamil Nadu. She called them "descendants of courtesans who came to serve the kings 300 years ago." As per a section of the media, Kasthuri called the Telugus in TN descendants of "prostitutes".
Kasthuri, however, defended herself even after a political storm. "I had only said those Telugu-speaking people who came to serve the women in palaces 300 years ago. Read history. I said nothing derogatory about Telugus or their descendants living in Tamil Nadu," she wrote.
She further urged the Telugus from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu not to trust the "lies" spoken by the "Goebbels of Tamil Nadu' and the "anti-Hindu DMK network".
'Aakasa Veedhilo', 'Don Seenu' and the recent 'GodFather' are among Kasthuri Shankar's other Telugu movies.
