Anirudh Ravichander slammed for teaming up with POCSO-accused Jani Master

Anirudh Ravichander's new single is facing severe backlash as its dance choreography was handled by Jani Master, who has been accused under the POCSO Act for sexually assaulting a minor. Jani Master, who is popular for working with top stars including Vijay in films like Varisu, faces charges of allegedly raping a minor, and the controversy around his continued employment in the industry shows no sign of dying down.

What Anirudh released

Music composer Anirudh Ravichander released a new single titled Aravindh, a tribute to his deceased friend of the same name, under his new independent label, Albuquerque Records. However, the single drew attention for the wrong reason — the involvement of choreographer Jani Master. The popular dance choreographer, who is out on bail in a POCSO case, worked on the song, enraging and disappointing many on social media.

What Jani Master was accused of

In September 2024, a 21-year-old woman choreographer filed a police complaint accusing Jani Master of sexual assault and harassment. According to police, she alleged that the choreographer first came in contact with her in 2017, hired her as an assistant in 2019, and sexually assaulted her in 2020 during a work trip to Mumbai — when she was 17 years old. She stated that he abused her for six years and submitted a 40-page document detailing several instances of harassment and assault. The POCSO section was added after it was disclosed that she was a minor at the time of the alleged offence. Jani Master was apprehended in Goa by Cyberabad police on September 19 and brought to Hyderabad, where he was remanded to 14-day judicial custody. The Telangana High Court subsequently granted him bail.

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Social media erupts in anger

Many have raised questions about why Anirudh would collaborate with someone facing such serious charges. "Below average song with a hook step portion meant for reels. Disgusting that you've enabled and empowered a pedophile through this. Shameful!" wrote one user. "Extremely disappointing from you. This isn't about the song — the song works just fine. This is about choosing Jani Master as the choreographer. This is your label, and you had full control over who you hired. There was no need to give work to a POCSO accused," wrote another.

Not the first time

This is not the first time fans have been left disappointed by the film industry's indifference to the case. Jani Master was earlier roped in for Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor's Peddi, where he choreographed two songs: Chikkiri Chikkiri and Rai Rai Raa Raa. Even then, AR Rahman and others associated with Peddi faced criticism for enabling an accused who is out on bail in a POCSO case.

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What the court said

Meanwhile, many have pointed to the Telangana High Court's bail order. The court, while granting bail, observed that the victim appeared to have moved with the accused of her own accord and that, as per the rules of the Dhee dance show — in which the victim had participated in 2018 — contestants were required to be between 18 and 24 years of age, suggesting she may have been an adult at the time. The court also noted that the complaint was filed four years after the alleged incident, with no explanation for the delay, and held that the matter of consent was a subject for trial. Jani Master was released on a personal bond with conditions that he and his family not contact or interfere with the victim in any manner. The case is still under trial.