Vijay Deverakonda booked under SC/ST act over controversial ‘Retro’ event remarks

Hyderabad: Actor Vijay Deverakonda has landed in legal trouble after a complaint was filed against him under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for allegedly making remarks that offended the tribal community.

The complaint was lodged by Nenavath Ashok Kumar Naik, the State President of the Joint Action Committee of Tribal Communities, who claimed that Deverakonda’s comments during the pre-release event of the movie ‘Retro’ were disrespectful and hurt the sentiments of tribals.

According to the FIR registered at Raidurgam Police Station in Cyberabad, the incident occurred during a promotional event held on April 26, 2025. The FIR notes:

“On 17.06.2025 at 10:30 hours, received a complaint from Nenavath Ashok Kumar Naik alias Ashok Rathod, Caste: ST (Rathod), Occu: State President, Joint Action Committee of Tribal Communities... Film actor Shri Vijay Deverakonda, who participated in the pre-release event of the movie Retro starring Hero Surya, made comments that hurt the sentiments of the tribals and seriously insulted them.”

The FIR further stated that the remarks were seen as a “serious insult to the self-respect and dignity” of the tribal community.

The complainant has urged authorities to take necessary legal action against the actor. Police officials confirmed that an investigation is currently underway.

Upcoming film release

On the professional front, Vijay Deverakonda will next be seen in the film ‘Kingdom’. The movie, originally scheduled for a May 30, 2025 release, is now set to hit theatres on July 4, 2025.

Directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, Kingdom stars Bhagyashri Borse as the female lead. The film is produced by Sithara Entertainments in collaboration with Fortune Four Cinemas. Music is composed by Anirudh Ravichander, and editing is done by Navin Nooli.

ANI inputs