Fans of actress Anjali were taken aback by a viral video showing veteran actor Nandamuri Balakrishna pushing her on stage during the pre-release event for her upcoming movie Gangs of Godavari. The incident sparked criticism of NBK’s behaviour and of Anjali for not reacting to it. Many even assumed that the veteran actor was intoxicated after a video of alcohol bottle near his feet went viral.

Anjali reacts to NBK pushing her on stage

In response, Anjali addressed the situation on her social media handle, clarifying their relationship. On May 30, she posted a clip from the event showing her enjoying the time with Nandamuri Balakrishna and thanked him for his presence. Her caption read, "I want to thank Balakrishna Garu for gracing the Gangs of Godavari pre-release event with his presence. I would like to express that Balakrishna garu and I have always maintained mutual respect for eachother and We share a great friendship from a long time. It was wonderful to share the stage with him again."

Nandamuri Balakrishna pushes actor Anjali on stage

The video, which has been widely shared and appeared on Reddit, shows Balakrishna pushing Anjali after she seemingly didn't hear him on stage. Despite the push, Anjali laughed off the incident, though her co-star Neha Shetty appeared visibly shocked. The context of Balakrishna's words to Anjali before the push is unclear, but he was later seen giving her a high-five.

Naga Vamsi, Vishwak Sen defend NBK amid backlash

Gangs of Godavari producer Naga Vamsi and actor Vishwak Sen addressed the speculations around Nandamuri Balakrishna's viral video at a press conference on May 30.

They clarified that the bottles shown in the viral videos were the result of CG manipulation done by some individuals who had ulterior motives. Naga Vamsi said, "The bottle which was shown in the video is not real. Someone with the help of graphics planted it & circulated the video." He further added, "As the organisers, we can confirm the authenticity of the event."