Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce has reportedly sought a meeting between actors Sruthi Hariharan and Arjun Sarja. Earlier this month, Sruthi accused Arjun of misconduct during the shoot of Nibunan in 2016.
A spokesperson for the KFCC would not confirm when the event has been scheduled. But he did say that the meeting has been scheduled as a result of actor Rajesh’s (Arjun’s father in law) complaint against Sruthi Hariharan. “This incident has deeply distressed the film community. We all need to sit and discuss this, else it will set a disturbing trend. At KFCC, we do not tolerate sexual harassment. But we do not encourage false accusations as well.”
The meeting between the two actors will involve a fact finding session, following which the KFCC hopes to find a way to solve the issue. When asked about what they hope to accomplish through this meeting, the spokesperson refused to comment.
A date has not been set yet but sources indicate that the meeting will most likely be held this Wednesday. The KFCC spokesperson said that news regarding the meeting has been intimated to Sruthi and Arjun.
“We have a lot of irate fans of Arjun asking us to ban Sruthi. Some women supporters of Arjun even protested against Sruthi in front of our premises recently. We urge everybody to keep calm till we sort this issue. Please do not damage yourself or public property out of the anger you feel,” the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson also said that President of KFCC SA Chinne Gowda met with key members of the association recently to discuss the situation.
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A noted Kannada actress, Sangeetha Bhat (who has also made sexual harassment allegations) however expressed dismay that such a sensitive issue would be handled by a body predominantly comprised of men. “This issue must be treated with sensitivity. Instead, a lot of men will be asking the questions,” she said.
A representative for Arjun confirmed that the actor has been informed of the meeting. “We have not decided if we would attend. But we affirm that Arjun has only behaved with the utmost respect to co-stars from the beginning of his career,” he said.
He also said that Arjun will likely file defamation suit against Sruthi both in the Karnataka HC as well as the Madras HC.
Sruthi could not be reached for comment.