Actor Allu Sirish wore an intricate choker at his engagement to Nayanika Reddy in October 2025. Jewellery was also a huge part of his pre-wedding and wedding outfits as he tied the knot recently. However, from memes to trolls, Sirish faced it all for breaking gender norms and jazzing up his outfit. In an interview with Hindustan Times, the actor says that he’s self-assured enough that others cannot dictate what’s masculine or feminine.
Allu Sirish says he didn’t care if he got trolled for breaking gender norms
Sirish wore diamond and gold jewellery throughout his pre-wedding and wedding ceremonies, even getting mehendi with Nayanika’s name, apart from Lord Balaji’s namam-shanku-chakra for the D-day. After his engagement last year, he had to school trolls and remind them of a time when Mughal and Indian maharajas wore chokers.
Now, the actor says it’s high time people break gender norms and embrace fluidity. “Gender norms are a new construct, and in ancient times, we were more gender fluid. Men also wore jewellery, and until a hundred years ago, there was no separate perfume for men and women. But now, it’s all blue for boys and pink for girls,” explains Sirish, adding, “I thought even if I get trolled, let me break that. We needed to start somewhere.”
Convincing those around him why it is important
Sirish says that those around him weren’t as sold on the idea as he was initially. “They were like, enduku, ipudu avasarama haralu veskovadam (do you need to wear a necklace now)? I said, ehe urukondi. Manam kuda try cheyyakapote inkevaru chestaru. Ilage untundi inko iravai elu kuda. (Let it go. If we also don’t try it, nobody will. Things will stay the same for 20 more years),” he says.
The actor says that he is happy he got to wear what he wants for the most special occasion of his life with his outfits reflecting his style and culture, both. “Men, we don’t get to play with clothes, only accessories. I’m saying it’s restricting. Besides, I am pretty self-assured, so I don’t need others to dictate what’s masculine or feminine. I will dictate what I can wear and nobody else,” he rounds off.
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When Allu Sirish schooled trolls
After his engagement to Nayanika on October 31, 2025, Sirish faced a barrage of memes and trolls over the choker he wore for the ceremony. Reacting to a meme that joked that he would wear a vaddanam (gold waist belt) for the wedding, he wrote, “Hahahaha. Our Telugu memers are too funny! Btw vaddanam is worn only by women but our Indian maharajas & Mughals wore chokers.”
“Chokers are only for women, is a very western construct. Its 2025 & high time we break free from such limiting beliefs and fully embrace our Indian style jewellery,” he added, posting pictures of kings through the time, wearing chokers and embracing jewellery. Sirish and Nayanika married on March 6 in a traditional Telugu wedding in Hyderabad in the presence of their loved ones.
