Telugu film choreographer and Janasena Party Jani Master.
Credit: X/@VChandramouli6
Hyderabad: Amid calls from women in the Telugu film industry to publish the report on sexual harassment at work place, accusations by an actress Poonam Kaur against a top Telugu director Trivikram Srinivas, and rape charges by a junior choreographer against ace choreographer 'Butta Bomma' fame, Shaik Jani Basha, who is popularly known as Jani Master, are sending ripples in Tollywood.
While the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) was silent against Poonam Kaur's cryptic message on social media against Trivikram Srinivas, it has launched a probe into the woman choreographer's complaint against Jani Master.
Rayadurgam police also registered a case and launched an investigation. TFCC had asked the choreographers association to disassociate with Jani Master. He was also asked to stay away from the activities of Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena, with which he was associated.
Jani Master is now absconding, and police have deployed four teams to nab him. Since the complainant was a minor when Jani Master first sexually abused her, they also booked him under POCSO sections.
His longtime assistant, a woman choreographer, recently filed a complaint with Rayadurgam police, alleging that Jani Master had sexually assaulted her multiple times during outdoor shootings, as well as at her home in Narsingi.
Police booked Jani Master under Section 376 for rape, along with Sections 506 for criminal intimidation and 323 (2) for causing hurt. The victim alleged in her complaint that she was raped, threatened, and beaten. The complainant, currently 21 years old, stated that Jani had been sexually abusing her since she was a minor.
She mentioned that the assaults took place during outdoor shootings in Chennai and Mumbai, as well as at her home in Narsingi, Hyderabad. Since the incident happened within Narsingi's jurisdiction, Rayadurgam Police Station transferred the case there after initially registering a zero FIR.
The victim also approached TFCC, which had convened the internal complaints committee, and launched the inquiry as per the guidelines of the POSH Act 2013.
“We are aware that the aggrieved party has made a complaint with the police department for which an FIR has been registered. The sexual harassment redressal panel of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce has received a sexual harassment complaint against Jani master from a choreographer who is a member of the Telugu Film & TV Dancers & Dance Directors Association,” said TFCC's top executive and popular Telugu film producer, Damodar Prasad.
He also said that communication was sent to the Telugu Film and TV Dancers and Dance Directors Association not to allow Jani Master to discharge duties as its president until all the charges against him are cleared.
As part of their investigation, the TFCC panel members have already recorded the victim's statement and collected some evidence.
Poonam Kaur's cryptic message
On the other hand, Poonam Kaur had left everyone in Tollywood guessing and amused with her social media message. “Had MAA (Movie Artists Association) association taken complaint on Trivikram Srinivas, I and many wouldn’t have had the political suffering; I was rather silently ignored; I had given a call and then complained to the heads; I want industry bigwigs to question Director Trivikram,” read Kaur's post on X.
Trivikram Srinivas is one of the top Telugu cinema directors, closely associated with Pawan Kalyan. Poonam Kaur has not provided any clarification regarding her post on the X platform. In the past, she has occasionally claimed that prominent figures in the Telugu film industry have harassed and ruined her career.