Prakash Raj explains his controversial tweet with Neil Armstrong and Malayali 'chailwala' joke

Prakash Raj explained his tweet which stirred a storm in the Twitter cup on Monday. Replying to trolls, the actor clarified that his earlier tweet alluded to a popular Neil Armstrong and Malayali 'chailwala' joke.

Hyderabad: Prakash Raj has offered a comprehensive explanation for his recent tweet, which caused controversy due to its reference to a "chaiwala" or tea seller. Addressing the criticism he received, the actor clarified that his comment was related to the historic joke about a Kerala chaiwala during Neil Armstrong's time, the first person to step foot on the moon.

In a fresh tweet on Tuesday, Prakash Raj directly addressed his critics by saying, "ATTENTION: To all the #Unacedemy trolls and #godimedia who only know one #Chaiwala... proudly presenting... our very own inspiring Malayali chaiwala since the 1960s. If you wish to gain knowledge, please read #justasking."

He also shared a link to a blog post that elaborated on the Malayali chaiwala-Neil Armstrong joke. According to the story, when Neil Armstrong reached the moon, a Malayali chaiwala was already present, having set up his shop to serve South Indian delicacies to aliens. When Neil requested to validate his status as the first man on the moon to help the US outpace its Cold War rival, the USSR, the Malayali chaiwala, named Rajendra Krishan Menon, agreed.

Subsequently, Neil revisited the moon on a secret mission to reunite with his old friend, only to find a Sardar's dhaba (roadside eatery) there. The Sardar informed Neil that his Malayali friend had moved to Pluto due to higher demand for his delicacies there.

Prakash Raj had earlier responded to the controversy with a tweet, stating, "Hate sees only Hate... I was referring to a joke from the #Armstrong era that celebrated our Kerala Chaiwala. Which Chaiwala did the trolls see? If you don't understand a joke, then the joke is on you... GROW UP #justasking." He also faced legal action as he was booked by a police station in Karnataka's Bagalkot district over the social media post.

Meanwhile, Prakash Raj has been booked in Karnataka over his social media post, in which he allegedly mocked India's ambitious third lunar mission-- Chandrayaan-3, police told a newswire on Tuesday.

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