Telugu superstar Nagarjuna
Credit: X/@iamnagarjuna
New Delhi: Eminent personalities need to start being a little less self obsessed and a little more giving, said filmmaker Jai Mehta, reacting to the viral video of Telugu superstar Nagarjuna's bodyguard pushing a differently-abled fan at an airport.
On Sunday, the video started doing rounds on social media. It showed the actor walking out of an airport accompanied by his security detail and his 'Kubera' co-star Dhanush.
The fan, apparently a cafe staff, tried to come close to Nagarjuna but was pushed by his bodyguard, making him stumble and almost fall. The bodyguard, however, helped him up.
Nagarjuna later apologised for the incident, saying he was unaware about what had happened.
"This just came to my notice … this shouldn’t have happened!! I apologise to the gentleman and will take necessary precautions that it will not happen in the future!!" Nagarjuna wrote on Sunday as he shared the video on his X account.
Jai Mehta, son of filmmaker Hansal Mehta, posted a lengthy note on X on Monday and said the security detail of celebrities need to be sensitised about treating fans in a respectful manner.
"The security guards ought to be educated on how to control a crowd better and more respectfully. Celebrities/ Politicians/ Sportsmen need to start being a little less self obsessed and a little more giving.
"Don’t get me wrong here. I love this actor, I’ve always loved him. But I hate that he didn’t even bother to look at the person that walked into him and didn’t even bother to look back the person that got shoved away from him by his security guard!" Jai Mehta posted.
The reason for the mammoth success of actors is "respect, adulation and admiration" they receive from "inconsequential" people, he added.
The director, known for his work on series Lootere and Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, then talked about his brother Pallava, who has Down’s syndrome and is a big fan of Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.
"What would really break my heart is... if I ever took my younger brother to an industry film screening with me, and by chance at this event his two idols were present. I wouldn’t want my brother’s innocence and lack of understanding to get him pushed/ flung by anybody that way. No matter who they are," he said.
"... I guess I’ll just need to teach the handicapped kid to keep his head down and his mouth shut instead of teaching an educated person with a sound state of mind to be a little more aware and gentle," he added.
Hansal Mehta shared his son's post on X and said Pallava is also a "fan" of Nagarjuna.
"I’d requested through his brother, his close friends at various times that meeting the star would mean the world to him. And it would be my gift to my boy. When his eyes were operated the first person he recognised in the newspaper was that star," he said.
However, there was no response from the actor's team, the filmmaker revealed.
"I gave up. Now over the years Pallu’s cognitive abilities have declined. And this will have no meaning even if it has to happen," he added.