KFCC seeks meeting between Sruthi Hariharan and Arjun to address Me Too allegation

The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has sought to hold a meeting between actors Sruthi Hariharan and Arjun Sarja in a bid to resolve the complaint raised by Sruthi against the veteran actor.

Sruthi had alleged that Arjun had run his hand down her back inappropriately while rehearsing for a scene in the bilingual film Vismaya.

KFCC president Chinne Gowda had earlier said that complaints made on social media will not be taken up and that an official complaint has to be made. Former KFCC president Sa Ra Govindu had also told the media that Sruthi was levelling false allegations.

The chorus of support for Sruthi Hariharan grew louder on Monday with a number of actors backing her, including Samyuktha Hegde, Prakash Raj and Shraddha Srinath.

The support comes amid mounting opposition against Sruthi accusing her of using the Me Too movement to gain publicity.

At a small protest held outside the KFCC office, protestors called for a ban on Sruthi Hariharan. Arjun Sarja has indicated that he will file a defamation complaint against Sruthi for her comments.

On Sunday, Sruthi faced a volley of questions from journalists regarding the controversy. She reiterated that she will fight the issue legally and also called for an active ICC in the Kannada film industry.

Also read: Sruthi Hariharan questioned on ‘Me Too’ allegations against actor Arjun, stays calm    

The accusations against Arjun Sarja have since escalated, as an anonymous woman backed Sruthi’s claims and said that she and several other persons who were working as extras on the set of a film were similarly subjected to Arjun's advances.

With more instances coming to light, the Film Industry for Rights and Equity (FIRE) appealed to the KFCC last week to refer all sexual harassment complaints they receive to FIRE’s Internal Complaints Committee.