Director Prem has filed a complaint against senior film producer Kanakapura Srinivas at the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce over his alleged derogatory remarks. Prem claimed that the comments made by Srinivas at a recent film-related event were insulting
Filmmaker Prem and producer Srinivas
Director Prem has reportedly filed a complaint against senior film producer Kanakapura Srinivas at the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce. Prem alleged that the producer used derogatory remarks at a recent film-related event. The controversy has attracted attention within the Kannada film industry, as Prem alleged the comments targeted him, director AP Arjun, actor Darshan, and other producers, while also including disrespectful language about late actor Puneeth Rajkumar.
Filmmaker Prem files a complaint against Kanakapura Srinivas
According to Prem, the remarks crossed personal and professional boundaries, which led him to take both legal and industry-level action. He mentioned that he set up an office, formed a team, and began working on the script in 2004; however, repeated attempts to contact the producer yielded no response. According to Deccan Herald, the complaint read, "In 2004, producer Srinivas approached me to direct a film by giving an amount advance of Rs 9 lakh (Rs 5 lakh in cash and rest in cheque). After this, I set up an office for him, formed a team and started working on the pre-production of the film. However, when I contacted him again, I did not receive any response. He wasted my time and that of my team".
Prem met Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce president Jayamala, to whom he submitted his complaint, claiming that Srinivas made highly derogatory statements. The director confirmed that he had already approached the police before escalating the issue to the Film Chamber. In his complaint, Prem explained his professional association with Srinivas, noting that he has served the Kannada film industry for 25 years and has maintained a clean professional record.
Prem reacts
Prem told the media that he chose to respond because Srinivas allegedly made extremely offensive remarks, including comments about mothers. Prem shared that while platforms like the Film Chamber exist to discuss and resolve disputes, he would not stoop to the same level of language or behaviour. “He has spoken disrespectfully about several people, including AP Arjun, Appu (Puneeth Rajkumar), Darshan and me. To question my capability, he must first have credibility himself. One must speak responsibly,” Prem said.
The dispute is being reviewed by the police as well as the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce. On the other hand, Srinivas has reportedly issued a counterstatement, in which he challenged Prem to confront him directly. The controversy escalated at a recent film event where the producer allegedly verbally abused several known celebrities of the Kannada film industry for allegedly cheating the producer over the years.
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