Mumbai: The All India Students’ Federation (AISF), Vijayawada chapter, has raised a serious complaint against popular actors Allu Arjun and Sreeleela, urging legal action over what they allege to be misleading endorsements for a private educational institution. The student body is calling for the duo to face consequences on par with those recently penalized for promoting online betting apps.
In a recently released video, AISF members held up a front-page advertisement featuring the two actors promoting an educational institute. The federation accused the actors of endorsing the institution without verifying its academic claims, including student ranks and educational standards.
“Actors like Sreeleela and Allu Arjun endorse some educational institutions and mislead students,” said an AISF representative from Vijayawada. “They are saying no one but students at Sri Chaitanya get good ranks and are being offered a good education. They are taking money to promote such brands, and those who believe them are paying lakhs of rupees and facing numerous problems in the hostels.”
The AISF also highlighted the need for accountability from public figures who lend credibility to brands and services through endorsements, particularly when such endorsements influence the life decisions of young people.
The student representative further alleged, “We demand that cases be filed against Sreeleela and Allu Arjun for ruining students’ lives. The same must be done here, like cases filed on actors endorsing betting apps. These actors don’t even know if these students have gotten these ranks before agreeing to advertise. We demand that action be taken against them.”
The call for legal action comes in the wake of mounting scrutiny over celebrity endorsements, especially in the education and gaming sectors. Just last month, actors including Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, Lakshmi Manchu, Pranitha Subhash, and Nidhhi Agerwal were named in FIRs for allegedly promoting betting apps. Those cases were filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Gaming Act, and the IT Act.
With public pressure mounting and the influence of celebrities under renewed examination, the AISF’s demand could reignite regulatory conversations around ethical advertising practices, especially when linked to essential services like education.
