CHENNAI: After waking up to see an advertisement for a film that he has openly asked not to be a part of, actor Vijay Sethupathi has threatened to go to police and court if the producer did not back down.
“I was shocked to see images of myself with the poster of a movie that I have even written to trade unions to be released from.
“If this continues, I will have no choice but to seek legal recourse”, the actor said in a statement on Thursday.
A few weeks ago, R K Suresh of Studio 9 Productions, the man who distributed some of Sethupathi’s biggest hits including Soodhu Kavvum and Idharkuthaane Aasaipattai Balakumara, issued a statement that he was ‘quitting the industry’ because the actor had cheated him. Further, Suresh had alleged that the actor had taken an advance to act in a film called Vasanthakumaran but was dodging shooting for over a year.
Responding to the allegations, Vijay Sethupathi, in a statement, said, “The producer had indulged in several activities that were wrong and used a lot of bad language, which is why I decided that I would not act in this film. Over the last year, I have been offering to return the advance of Rs 9 lakh with interest that I took for the film. But, he has not accepted this and has been asking for crores of rupees in damages.”
Sethupathi sought help from Nadigar Sangam (Film Artistes Union) while the producer approached the Tamil Film Producers Council. Both groups met for an arbitration, but that did not quite work out. “I even gave a second complaint to the Nadigar Sangam to be freed from this movie so that I could work on my other films,” Sethupathi added. The actor is currently wrapping up S P Janananthan’s film and would soon begin working on Naanum Rowdy Thaan, to be produced by Dhanush’s Wunderbar Films.
Responding to the actor’s charges, Suresh said he was well within his rights to advertise the film as he saw fit, “It is my film. Who is he to tell me not to advertise? He has no legal standing and it is I who will start legal proceedings against him for having swindled me,” he said curtly, “I have all the paperwork, what does he have?”