A video of Tamil actor Sivakumar snapping the phone out of a fan's hand at a public event has put the 77-year-old actor in the bad book of social media. The Internet dubbed Sivakumar as "arrogant" but the actor defended himself in an interview with Behind Woods and said: "It is a courtesy to ask any celebrity or any person before they start clicking photos with them. A celebrity cannot be treated or taken for granted as a public property. I am someone, who has never hesitated to take photos at airport and any gatherings with hundreds and thousands of people." He added that celebrities deserve "privacy and respect too."
In the interview, Sivakumar also said that when he arrived at the venue, he was "disappointed" to see 20-25 people clicking selfies by pushing the volunteers and guards accompanying him. However, in the video circulating on the Internet, the fan from whose hand the phone was knocked out, was standing at a considerable distance from the actor.
Watch viral clip here:
And here's what the Internet says:
Though some Twitter users also backed Sivakumar and said:
A section of the Internet also said that fans should take permission before clicking pictures or selfies but Sivakumar's reaction was not justified:
However, Sivakumar was unmoved by Twitter's reaction and told Behind Woods: "I am not claiming myself as Buddha or a saint, but an ordinary person like you and am leading a life that I love. Moreover, I am not requesting 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 on how some of our deeds might affect others."
Sivakumar has featured in over 100 films in a career spanning four decades. He was mostly cast in supporting roles and he has co-starred with top actors like Gemini Ganesan, Shivaji Ganesan and Jayalalithaa.
Sivakumar's sons are actors Surya and Karthi.
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