Manimegalai Vs Priyanka Deshpande: What Is The Controversy All About?

For days, the Tamil cine audience has been buzzing with speculations about an alleged dispute between TV anchors Manimegalai and Priyanka Deshpande, which reportedly led to Manimegalai's abrupt exit from the popular show 'Cooku with Comali' (CWC), aired on Vijay TV.

Manimegalai, without directly blaming Priyanka Deshpande, hinted at issues with another TV anchor in her exit post on social media. In her statement, she emphasized that she had always put her heart and soul into the shows she worked on, including 'Cooku with Comali', since its inception in November 2019. However, she made it clear that self-respect was her top priority, and no amount of fame, money, or opportunities could take precedence over it.

In her post, Manimegalai revealed that a female anchor, who was supposed to be a cook on the show, often dominated and interfered with her anchoring duties. She expressed frustration that despite raising concerns, her attempts were dismissed, which led her to walk away from the show, as it no longer felt like the 'CWC' she had once enjoyed.

Though Manimegalai refrained from naming Priyanka Deshpande directly, fans on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram quickly pointed fingers at Deshpande, accusing her of using her seniority to overshadow others. This led to widespread online discussions, with many extending support to Manimegalai.

Several celebrities, including Anitha Sampath, Farina, Shivin Ganeshan, Monisha, and Kishore Rajkumar, expressed their solidarity with Manimegalai, criticizing the alleged dominance and toxic atmosphere on the show.

Responding to the controversy, VJ Archana stated, "I am always against dominance and bullying. But here, I don't know both of them personally, and we need to hear both sides of the story before judging who is right or wrong." Meanwhile, anchor Ma Ka Pa Anand, who was not part of the fifth season of Cooku with Comali, chose to stay out of the issue, commenting, "It's their issue, let them fight among themselves. This is very important for our country."

The debate continues as fans and viewers remain divided, waiting for more clarity on the matter, while Cooku with Comali marches on with its ongoing season.