Rashmika-Vijay's first airport appearance post Koffee With Karan 9 backlash

Actors Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna were seen at Hyderabad airport on November 6. The duo's public outing came shortly after issuing official statements to address online criticism surrounding their joint appearance on Koffee With Karan Season 9. The couple faced intense social media backlash following Vijay's remarks on the talk show, which many viewers labelled as inappropriate. Addressing the widespread reactions, both actors released formal statements clarifying their stand.The couple was accompanied at the airport by Vijay's brother, actor Anand Deverakonda. Video footage from the terminal showed Vijay and Rashmika wearing matching black outfits as they walked through the airport together with masks on, marking their first public appearance since the broadcast of the controversial episode.Much of the criticism stemmed from a specific exchange during the episode, where Vijay stated that Rashmika had to ask him "100 times" over the span of a year before he agreed to marry her. Host Karan Johar expressed surprise on the show upon learning of the condition. The couple, who got married in February 2026, drew mixed reactions from viewers online regarding the nature of the conversation.In the wake of the public discussion, Vijay also published a reel on his Instagram handle addressing the online commentary. The clip used exaggerated interpretations of routine conversations to highlight how everyday celebrity interactions are often parsed and over-analysed by social media users.While reacting to the criticism, Rashmika also admitted that the response to their appearance on the chat show, she felt, had gone beyond people simply seeing things differently. In her Instagram post, she mentioned how it had started to feel like "an angry mob looking for someone to vent at."On the professional front, Vijay and Rashmika were last seen sharing screen space in director Rahul Sankrityan's historical period action drama Ranabaali. The film marked their latest cinematic collaboration following their previous screen projects together.- Ends