Sai Pallavi's casting as Sita in Nitesh Tiwari's has sparked a debate on social media, with opinions divided over whether the actress fits the widely held image of the mythological character.
As the discussion gains momentum, an old interview in which Sai Pallavi spoke about beauty standards, and embracing her natural appearance has resurfaced online.
The debate around Sai Pallavi as Sita intensified after the trailer was released last week. While several users praised Sai Pallavi's understated screen presence and acting abilities, others questioned whether she matched scriptural descriptions of Sita's beauty.
Amid the online debate, excerpts from an earlier interview with have gone viral again. In the interview, Sai Pallavi, known for frequently appearing without makeup on and off screen, spoke about living with acne and rosacea and how audience acceptance changed her perception of beauty.
"When people accepted me for who I was, a girl with acne (rosacea), I learnt that confidence was the real beauty," she said, adding that embracing her natural appearance became easier after audiences accepted her as she was.
In the same interview, the actress also explained why she chose to make her acting debut with the 2015 Malayalam film instead of entering Tamil cinema first.
Sai Pallavi has also been outspoken about colourism and unrealistic beauty standards. The actor reportedly turned down a fairness cream endorsement saying she did not want to promote ideals that could negatively affect people's self-esteem.
Speaking to in an interview later republished by she said, "It's a personal choice. I cannot blame anybody for their choices. When you look at the greater population of people who are affected by a few choices that we make, I think that's when I have to take a stand. I know friends and family who have always been compared and made to feel little less because of their skin colour or those beauty standards that we have created in the society."
Reflecting on her struggles before entering films, Sai Pallavi recalled trying numerous fairness creams while dealing with acne.
"Before , I would put on hundreds of fairness creams. I would have so much acne. I put myself through so much. I wouldn't want to leave home. I would just stay home thinking that people look at my pimples and talk but not my eyes," she said.
She added that the response to fundamentally changed her outlook and reinforced her belief in authenticity.
"After , they accepted me with all of that. They liked me more and I saw how much it influenced teenagers. That let me feel a lot more powerful," she said.