'MeToo' hits Telugu film industry, absconding choreographer Jani Master arrested in Goa

Well-known Telugu film dance choreographer Jani Master, who has been accused of sexual assault by a former colleague, and was absconding, was arrested in a lodge in Goa, the police said on Thursday (September 19).

Jani who worked in big-ticket films like 'Baahubali' and 'Pushpa: The Rise' has been taken into custody, following a complaint by a 21-year-old ex-colleague, who accused him of sexual harassment over several years, including when she was a minor.

On Wednesday, Jani was booked by the Narsingi Police after the woman filed the complaint on September 11. “He had gone missing after the FIR was lodged. We formed four teams to trace his location,’’ said an officer.

Jani Master, whose real name is Shaik Jani, was arrested in Goa by the Cyberabad police where he will be produced before a local court, a senior police official told PTI.  He will be brought to Hyderabad after obtaining a transit warrant from the court. 

Telugu film chamber of commerce

Meanwhile, a panel from the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce has initiated an investigation into the allegations against the choreographer.

The panel will have to submit a report within 90 days of receiving the complaint from the victim.

According to the chamber, the allegations against Master - rape and criminal intimidation - will attract charges under the stringent POCSO, or Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Statements have been collected from both the victim and accused, said the chamber. The head of sexual harrasment redressal panel of the film chamber, Damodar Prasad, sent a notice to the Telegu Film and TV Dancers and Dance Directors Association, asking them not to allow Jani to discharge duties until all charges against him are cleared.

Who is Jani Master?

Jani has also worked in Tamil films like 'Beast', 'Jailer', 'Varisu' and recently choreographed a Bollywood film, Amir Kaushik's 'Stree 2'. Earlier this year, he won the National Film Award for Best Choreography for the song 'Megam Karukkatha' from the Tamil film 'Thiruchitrambalam', starring Dhanush and Nithya Menen.

The complaint

The young woman, who complained against Master said she first met him at an event in 2017.

Later, after two years, he offered her a job as an assistant choreographer, which she accepted. Subsequently, he assaulted her sexually, including once at a hotel in which they were staying during a show in Mumbai, she alleged. 

She claimed she was only 16 when he first assaulted her in a Mumbai hotel room, and that he had threatened she would not find work if she complained or told anyone about the incident.

Despite being a married man, he asked her to marry him, she said. He also allegedly threatened her against going to the police.

She also claims that Jani's wife, Ayesha, was also involved in the harassment.

Jana Sena distances itself

Jani Master is also a member of actor-politician Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena, which is allied with the Telugu Desam Party of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. 

The Jana Sena has ordered Master to stay away from its political events at this time. “Mr Shaik Jani was ordered to stay away from JanaSena party activities. The party leadership decided on this after a case was registered against him with the police. The decision comes into effect immediately," said the statement.

Poonam Kaur's complaint

Meanwhile, Telugu actor Poonam Kaur posted on X this week saying that if the Movie Artists Association had heeded her complaint against film director Trivikram Srinivas, she could have been spared the suffering.

"I and many others wouldn't have had the political suffering", she wrote, adding that a sexual harassment panel had demanded her complaint in writing.

In the Tamil film industry too, actor Sowmya has come forward to give extensive interviews claiming she was "groomed as a sex slave" by a famous Tamil director, whose wife was once a leading actress in Tamil films.