A viral image has been circulating on social media platforms, claiming that renowned Telugu actor Allu Arjun rejected a lucrative ₹10-crore offer from a prominent liquor brand and visited a Shiva temple with his family after the massive success of his recent film, Pushpa: The Rule, sequel of Pushpa: The Rise. The claim consists of two distinct parts: the alleged rejection of the liquor brand endorsement offer and the supposed temple visit after the success of Pushpa 2.
Many other users shared the claim which can be viewed here.
Fact Check
However, a thorough investigation conducted by our team revealed that the claim is entirely false. A reverse image search was conducted, and identical pictures were found online, dated February 6, 2017. These images were originally published by Sakshi Post, a reputable online news portal, in an article titled “Allu Arjun family offers prayers at Tirumala”
Furthermore, the same set of images was also featured in a YouTube video posted seven years ago, such as by TeleguZ TV and V6 News Telegu.
These findings unequivocally confirm that the image being shared on social media is not recent and has been misused to spread false information.
As we at DFRAC investigated the claim that Allu Arjun declined a ₹10-crore liquor endorsement deal following the release of Pushpa 2, it was revealed that the report predates the film’s release. A thorough keyword search, by the DFRAC team, uncovered multiple media reports from December 16, 2023, published by reputable news outlets, including Hindustan Times, and News 18.
According to these reports, Allu Arjun rejected a lucrative offer from a liquor and pan brand that sought to display its logo on the screen during scenes in Pushpa 2 where the character Pushpa smokes or chews. The actor reportedly declined the deal, citing discomfort with endorsing such brands.
Notably, this is not the first instance of Allu Arjun refusing endorsements for liquor or tobacco products. Following the success of Pushpa: The Rise, he also turned down a significant offer from a tobacco company for a television commercial, demonstrating his consistent stance on this matter.
Conclusion
These findings from DFRAC, confirm that the image circulating on social media with the claim that Allu Arjun visited a temple after rejecting the ₹10-crore liquor endorsement deal is false, as the image being circulated is actually 7 years old.
