Rachita Ram says fan who pulled her cheek on her birthday meant no harm

Kannada star Rachita Ram has spoken up after a fan pulled her cheek while she was greeting admirers outside her Bengaluru home on her birthday. It happened on Saturday, October 3, when the actor stepped out to meet the crowd that had gathered to wish her. Reports say she was celebrating her 34th birthday.

Rachita, known to fans as "Dimple Queen", was smiling, posing for photos and taking selfies with the people waiting outside. After one man finished his selfie with her, he reached out and pulled her cheek just as he was leaving. She looked startled for a moment, then quickly composed herself and carried on meeting other fans.

A clip of the moment spread fast online, and many users criticised the fan for crossing her personal boundaries. More videos have since surfaced, showing two or three other fans trying the same thing while posing with her.

Rachita has reportedly defended the fan at a press meet. According to reports, she said her fans showed their love with no wrong intention, and that the gesture felt like someone affectionately pampering a child. She reportedly added that she would have scolded him if the touch had been inappropriate, but that she could not get angry at pure love, and that she took it as a form of appreciation.

The actor also reportedly shared a post on Instagram thanking every fan who came to celebrate with her and treated her like their own daughter. She thanked her family, friends and the media for making the day special, and wished that the bond between her and her fans would last forever, with no evil eye falling on it.

Rachita made her debut in MD Sridhar's Bulbul (2013), opposite Darshan, and went on to films such as Ranna, Pushpaka Vimana, Ayogya, Natasaarvabhowma and Kranti. She was most recently seen in Lokesh Kanagaraj's Tamil film Coolie, where she reportedly played the villain Kalyani Dileep.