HYDERABAD: National award-winning choreographer and one of the big names in the Telugu film industry, Jani Master , was on Sunday booked for alleged sexual assault of a 21-year-old colleague.
Jani Master, who won National Film award for best choreography in 2022 Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam starring Dhanush, and has worked with top actors from Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema, has been accused of sexually assaulting the woman, also a choreographer, on multiple occasions in his vanity van, on film sets and at outdoor shoots since 2019.
Narsingi station house officer (SHO) G Hari Krishna Reddy told TOI that the case has been registered under IPC sections 376(2)(n) (repeated rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) based on a complaint by the woman who had worked with him in the past.
She said, “A few days ago, while returning home, unidentified persons threatened me. On Aug 28, a suspicious parcel was delivered at my home.” She also alleged that although she was hired for some projects, she was dropped midway. While not allowing her to work individually, Jani Master would go to shooting locations where she worked and threatened her that he would ensure she wouldn’t get any offers, she told cops.
The choreographer, in his mid-40s and is known as Shaik Jani Basha, acquainted the woman after she appeared in a reality show . The woman said it all started in 2019 when Jani Master asked her to join his team as an assistant choreographer.
During her first visit to Mumbai for a shoot with Jani Master and two other assistant choreographers, he allegedly sexually assaulted her in the hotel. He reportedly threatened her with dire consequences and warned that he would ruin her fledgling career if she talked about the alleged assault to anyone.
According to the complaint, he then allegedly harassed her at shooting locations on multiple occasions. On another occasion in a vanity van, he allegedly demanded sexual favours. When she refused,
he abused her physically. “Once he barged into the vanity van and demanded sexual favours. When I refused, he held my hair by force and pushed my head to the mirror,” she said.
On several occasions, he would come to her home, create a scene, throw articles and ransack the home, she said. She alleged that along with Jani Master, his wife too physically abused her and harassed her. Initially, Raidurgam police registered a zero FIR and transferred it to Narsingi police.
“We are gathering evidence on the wom-an’s complaint,” the SHO said.
Jani Master, who won National Film award for best choreography in 2022 Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam starring Dhanush, and has worked with top actors from Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema, has been accused of sexually assaulting the woman, also a choreographer, on multiple occasions in his vanity van, on film sets and at outdoor shoots since 2019.
Narsingi station house officer (SHO) G Hari Krishna Reddy told TOI that the case has been registered under IPC sections 376(2)(n) (repeated rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) based on a complaint by the woman who had worked with him in the past.
She said, “A few days ago, while returning home, unidentified persons threatened me. On Aug 28, a suspicious parcel was delivered at my home.” She also alleged that although she was hired for some projects, she was dropped midway. While not allowing her to work individually, Jani Master would go to shooting locations where she worked and threatened her that he would ensure she wouldn’t get any offers, she told cops.
The choreographer, in his mid-40s and is known as Shaik Jani Basha, acquainted the woman after she appeared in a reality show . The woman said it all started in 2019 when Jani Master asked her to join his team as an assistant choreographer.
During her first visit to Mumbai for a shoot with Jani Master and two other assistant choreographers, he allegedly sexually assaulted her in the hotel. He reportedly threatened her with dire consequences and warned that he would ruin her fledgling career if she talked about the alleged assault to anyone.
According to the complaint, he then allegedly harassed her at shooting locations on multiple occasions. On another occasion in a vanity van, he allegedly demanded sexual favours. When she refused,
he abused her physically. “Once he barged into the vanity van and demanded sexual favours. When I refused, he held my hair by force and pushed my head to the mirror,” she said.
On several occasions, he would come to her home, create a scene, throw articles and ransack the home, she said. She alleged that along with Jani Master, his wife too physically abused her and harassed her. Initially, Raidurgam police registered a zero FIR and transferred it to Narsingi police.
“We are gathering evidence on the wom-an’s complaint,” the SHO said.
