Telangana Women’s Commission issues notice to actor Sivaji for his remarks on women’s clothing

Telangana State Commission for Women has issued a notice asking Telugu actor Sivaji to appear in person before the panel in December 2025. This comes after the recent comments made by the actor during one of the promotional events for his upcoming movie.According to India Today, in its notice, the Commission stated that Sivaji’s comments appeared derogatory towards women, particularly women from Telangana. It also mentioned that at first glance, the comments seemed deliberate and capable of defaming women in society. Based on this, the Commission said it had taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and decided to conduct an enquiry under Section 16(1)(b) of the Telangana Women’s Commission Act, 1998.For the unversed, Sivaji, during a pre-release event of the film he made remarks about her saare and later extended his comments to women actors in general. Sivaji said that women should opt for sarees or fully covered outfits, claiming that “beauty lies in complete attire and not in displaying physical assets.” He also suggested that women who dress otherwise may be praised publicly but mocked privately. The remarks quickly led to a backlash on social media, with many calling them inappropriate. After the criticism, Sivaji issued a public apology on Tuesday, admitting that his choice of words was inappropriate. “I was not referring to all women. My intention was not to insult or humiliate anyone. My intention was good, but it would have been better if those words hadn’t slipped out. Other than wanting to say something good, I had no intention of insulting or degrading anyone,” he said.One of the prominent personalities from South Indian cinema, Chinmayi Sripaada called out Sivaji. On his X (formerly Twitter) he wrote, “Telugu Actor Sivaji doles out unnecessary advice to Actresses using slurs like ‘Daridrapu Munda’ saying they need to wear Saris to cover their ‘Saamaan’ - a word incels use. He himself wears Jeans and Hoodie. He should wear only Dhotis and follow Indian culture. Wear bottu and if he is married wear the Kankanam and Mettelu to signify he is married,” he wrote.