Pushpa actor uses 17-year-old dumb phone worth Rs 10 Lakh and here’s why everyone is talking about it

In a world where even mid-range phones now flaunt multiple cameras and AI smarts, Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil is making headlines for doing just the opposite. A video of the Pushpa actor attending a film event went viral, not because of any grand appearance but because of the humble-looking phone he was holding—a small, old-school keypad device. But there’s more than meets the eye.

The phone in question isn’t your average Rs 1,500 feature phone. It’s a Vertu Ascent Retro, a handcrafted luxury phone that costs nearly Rs 10 lakh—yes, you read that right. While the device may appear like a relic from the pre-iPhone era, it’s actually a high-end collector’s item built with premium materials like leather, sapphire crystal screens, and even titanium casings.

Vertu, a British luxury brand, is known for making ‘dumb phones’ for the ultra-rich. There are no touchscreens, no fancy AI features, and no Instagram apps—just luxury craftsmanship and exclusivity. The Ascent Retro model that Fahadh was seen with reportedly costs around $11,920 (approximately Rs 10,22,000), and that too when it was available. Most Vertu phones are sold out, and many pieces have become collector’s items, with some rare models fetching up to Rs 4 crore.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Fahadh’s ‘digital detox’ has come up. Fellow actor Vinay Forrt recently revealed in an interview that Fahadh doesn’t use a smartphone at all. He stays off social media and prefers a minimalist approach to gadgets.