A case has been registered against actor Baburaj and his wife Vani Vishwanath following complaints that the couple had swindled money in connection with the filming of 'Koodasha' directed by Dinu Thomas Eelan in 2017.
As per the complaint filed by the producers of the movie, Baburaj and his wife had accepted Rs 3.14 crore for the production of the film.
However, actor Baburaj has now hit back at the producers claiming that the allegations are false and baseless. He also said the complainants had unfairly drawn his wife Vani Vishwanath's name into the controversy.
“I didn’t receive any remuneration for acting in this film. The producers had sent Rs 80 lakh via the account of the resort owned by me for filming purpose,” said Baburaj.
The actor told Manorama Online that those who are annoyed by his strong stand in various issues are the ones who drag him into such controversies. He added that he would take the legal route and file a defamation suit for dragging his wife into the matter.
Baburaj's words: Only Rs 1 crore was spent to make ‘Koodasha’. You would understand the truth if you speak to the director of the film. Besides, my wife Vani Vishwanath’s name has been unnecessarily dragged into a matter that doesn’t concern her. I am sure that some people from the film industry and those who are against me are behind this fake complaint. I have given a complaint to the Aluva Superintendent of Police showing that they have been threatening me.
They were summoned to the police station as part of the investigation. Without appearing there, they have now filed a police complaint against me at Palakkad. Their aim is to defame me. They are annoyed by the strong stand that I had taken in some recent issues. They cannot trap me in a sexual abuse case. That is why they have cooked up a false forgery case. Vani has decided to file a defamation suit for dragging her into this,” noted the actor.
Koodasha directed by Dinu Thomas was bankrolled by Riyas and Omar for the banner of OMR Productions. The film that was released in 2017 was mostly shot in Munnar. Baburaj said that the crew had stayed at his resort there.
“The producers had sent the money for filming via the resort’s bank account. Around Rs 80 lakh was received in the account as per their request. I didn’t get any remuneration as the movie was a flop. They didn’t even give me the food and accommodation expenses.
They told me that they would pay me after the movie gets released. As the producers had some police case in their hometown, they didn’t get the police clearance certificate before the release. So, the film was released via VB Creations owned by me.
Besides, I spent around Rs 18 lakh for erecting flex boards across Kerala. They had also requested me to help them sell the satellite rights. Even though I tried a lot, it didn’t happen. But, when the requests turned to threats, I gave a complaint to Aluva SP. I even submitted all the documents that validate my actions,” says Baburaj.
Baburaj claims that the producers may have filed compliant against him and his wife, paying heed to someone else’s advice. “It is pretty evident that they have charged false allegations against me as the details of Koodasha could be accessed through a simple Google search. I have decided to take the legal recourse. I know the people who are actually trying to defame me by digging up such cases that happened in 2017. All I can say now is that I wouldn’t budge from my stands and opinions, no matter what happens,” Baburaj said.
