Video of wedding of Malayalam TV actors goes viral with misleading claims

The viral video shows wedding of Malayalam television actors Kris Venugopal and Divya Sreedhar, not a Devadasi marriage.

A video showing a man and a woman in traditional south Indian attire adorned with garlands is going viral on social media with the claim that it shows the practice of Devadasi system in the southern states. The video which has a voiceover explaining what the Devadasi system was. It claimed that minor girls were married off to gods in temples, and that is why they were called Devadasis, which means Desi or Servants of the God. It claims that priests in the temple used to exploit such girls, including sexual exploitation, and thus it became legal prostitution.

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The post is going viral on Facebook as well.

Fact Check- 

By conducting keyword and reverse image search on Google, we found that this video shows the marriage of Malayalam television actors Divya Sreedhar and Kris Venugopal in Guruvayoor in October 2024. 

As per the Times of India report, Kris Venugopal is a well-known name in the television industry. He has not only acted in popular serials but is also a published author and a voice artist. Divya Sreedhar is a talented actress celebrated for her roles in various television projects. She is especially known for her captivating performances in negative and character roles making her a familiar face among serial viewers. The couple met while working on the TV serial “Patharamattu” and married in October 2024.

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According to Onmanorama, Television actors Kris Venugopal and Divya Sreedhar got married at a private function in Guruvayoor. The duo worked together in the serial ‘Patharamattu’ following which they proceeded with the marriage plans. 

Soon after the news of their marriage surfaced, the couple was cyberattacked on social media. Much of the debate focused on the age difference between the two. It was a second marriage for both of them. People claimed that Kris Venugopal is 60 years old and he married a 40-year-old woman. Responding to these claims, Divya had clarified that Kris is 49 while she is 40, so there was an age difference of 9 years, not 20 years.

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You can see below the video of the couple’s marriage published by a YouTube channel named Celespot Media, on 30 October, 2024 .

Therefore, the viral video does not show the practice of Devadasi culture in South India, it is a video of the marriage of Malayalam TV actors Divya Sreedhar and Kris Venugopal.

Conclusion 

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral video to be Misleading. The viral video shows wedding of Malayalam television actors Kris Venugopal and Divya Sreedhar, not a Devadasi marriage.