'Baseless and untrue’: Allu Arjun sues brand manager over viral ‘42 rules’ claim

Allu Arjun has initiated legal action against brand manager Kaveri Baruah after her claims about an alleged list of “dos and don’ts” for meeting him went viral.

What sparked the controversy

The row erupted after a clip from the Sweekriti Talks podcast surfaced online, in which Baruah recounted a past professional interaction involving the Pushpa actor. Speaking on the podcast, she said that “South stars come with an entourage” and described an “interesting encounter” with Allu Arjun, whom she called “the mega star of Hyderabad.” “Before meeting him, we received a note with 42 dos and don’ts,” she said, adding that there were strict instructions such as “don’t look into sir’s eyes,” or “don’t shake his hand.” Baruah, who previously worked in the brand strategy department at a leading two-wheeler manufacturer, as per her now-deleted LinkedIn profile, made the claims during the podcast. The clip quickly went viral, triggering backlash from Allu Arjun’s fans. Following the criticism, Baruah deleted her social media profiles.

Actor’s team issues statement

After the clip went viral, Allu Arjun’s team released an official statement on Tuesday denying the allegations: “Certain recent comments made about Mr Allu Arjun are completely baseless and untrue. He has always conducted himself with the utmost dignity and honour. We take these false allegations seriously. Our legal team is initiating defamation proceedings against those responsible. We request everyone to refrain from spreading unverified information,” read the statement.

Podcaster responds, removes clip

After the clarification issued by Allu Arjun’s team, the podcaster behind Sweekriti Talks removed the video from her platform and addressed the decision on Instagram Stories. “I have removed the video due to my guest being threatened by their team!! I finally understand what happens when people speak the truth...She holds a responsible position in a reputed organization, and I refuse to let her career be jeopardized due to online bullying. The discussion was factual and professional, not defamatory,” the post read.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”