Jaguar Thangam has filed a complaint against noted producer AM Rathnam with the Chennai Police Commissioner stating that he fears for his life after Rathnam and his accomplices threatened him. The stunt director has asked for police protection.
“Duraisamy, Jambu, Nandagopal Chetty and AM Rathnam have repeatedly threatened me since I assumed charge as the president of the Film and Television Producer’s Guild of South India. They demanded the removal of CCTV cameras from the premises. When I objected to it, they screamed at me and threatened me. This incident has scared me and I fear for my life. That’s why I lodged the complaint,” he said.
The dispute started between the stunt director and the producer after the recent election conducted by the guild. Jaguar Thangam was elected as the president, while members from the opposing team won key posts in the guild. Thangam was accused of preventing other members from entering the guild office in Chennai. He also allegedly threatened vice-president AM Rathnam, when he raised objections.
AM Rathnam filed a complaint on Tuesday, in which he said that Thangam brought in outsiders to threaten him and his colleagues. He has also asked for police protection.
Recommended
Rathnam, on the other hand, said that Jaguar Thangam has been reluctant to meet the other members since the election. “His own supporters failed to win the other posts in the guild. He has been avoiding us since election day. He ordered some goons to prevent us from entering the office. This is unconstitutional and illegal,” said Rathnam.
The guild is a popular alternative to the Tamil Nadu Producer’s Council. According to insiders, the guild charges less for its membership and also has a more economical process for registering film titles. However, this process is not transparent, which has led to many controversies within the organisation in the past.