Thalapathy
Vijay’s son Jason Sanjay’s maiden film as director was announced yesterday. It
is titled Sigma, and Sundeep Kishan is the lead of the action saga.
Now, an
intriguing story has been buzzing that before finalising Sundeep, the director
wanted to cast Dulquer Salmaan as the lead actor of Sigma. He liked the story,
but due to prior commitments, he didn’t sign up for the film. In a chat
with talk-show host Gopinath, Dulquer Salmaan addressed the reports of working
with his father, the legendary Mammootty in a project. On being asked if a film
is being planned Dulquer Salmaan said "The plans are there...if he does
agree to be a part of a film, then I will feel proud of myself because I have
been in the industry for 14 years, and his nod means I have earned it. Because
convincing him to be part of a project isn't easy. but the thing is, even for
Lokah I had to take time to convince him to be a part of it, because the budget
went above what we had planned. But he is very supportive."
Netizens
have been slamming music composer AR Rahman for collaborating with choreographer
Jani Master for the upcoming film Peddi, starring Ram Charan and
Janhvi Kapoor. Jani Master has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor and
is currently out on conditional bail. Singer Chinmayi Sripaada, a frequent
collaborator with Rahman, was questioned by a user online about why she hadn’t
called him out for working with Jani. Responding to the comment, Chinmayi
revealed that she had, in fact, questioned him personally.
Rahman was
criticised for posing for photos with Jani Master during the film’s shoot. One X
(formerly Twitter) user accused Chinmayi of hypocrisy, writing, “I think Akka
will keep quiet because it’s Rahman. Hypocrisy is one of her attributes!”
Chinmayi hit back, replying, “Oh please, shut up. I asked Sir — and he had no
idea. I have called out even the CM and the biggest actors in the Tamil film
industry.”
Chinmayi, who has long spoken against sexual harassment in the industry after
accusing lyricist Vairamuthu of misconduct, also addressed the mental toll such
activism has taken on her. “You are not the one going to court and getting
harassed. So stop targeting me when powerful men employ molesters. You all can
call out your idols — I cannot do all the work alone. I have lost enough, been
abused enough, and harassed enough. You are an anonymous handle with nothing to
lose,” she wrote. Meanwhile, Jani
Master recently shared pictures with AR Rahman and Peddi director Buchi Babu Sana. He
has choreographed the song Chikiri Chikiri from the film, featuring Ram Charan
and Janhvi Kapoor. The images went viral, sparking backlash against Rahman for
working with a man facing serious sexual assault charges.
What is
the case against Jani Master?
A
21-year-old woman had accused the choreographer of sexually abusing her
multiple times. Jani is known for his work in major films like Stree 2, Jailer,
Radhe, and Baahubali, among others.
According to
reports, the woman alleged that Jani Master abused her repeatedly. The police
have booked him under Sections 376(2)(n), 506, and 323 of the Indian Penal Code
(IPC) and initiated an investigation.
As per the
FIR, the woman stated that in 2019, she joined Jani Master’s team as an
assistant choreographer. “Whenever she travelled outside Hyderabad for shoots,
her mother did not accompany her due to the unavailability of tickets and
accommodation. During a project in Mumbai, she, along with Jani Master and two male
assistants, stayed at a hotel, where Jani Master allegedly sexually assaulted
her and threatened to fire her if she spoke about it. He continued to harass
her on multiple occasions during subsequent shoots,” the complaint
stated.
