CHENNAI: National Award-winning choreographer Shaik Jani alias Jani Master was on Sunday booked for allegedly sexually harassing a woman he worked with, according to the police.
The woman alleged that Jani had sexually assaulted her during outdoor shoots and also attacked her at her home.
Based on her complaint, the Raidurgam police have registered a zero FIR and transferred it to the Narsingi police station on Sunday night as the woman resides there, police said on Monday.
This is the latest in a series of sexual harassment and exploitation allegations against film personalities across industries. As the Malayalam film industry is reeling under the charges levelled against top film stars, following the impact of the recent Justice Hema Committee report, other film industries too are witnessing accounts of #MeToo, with calls for systemic redressal and stringent action growing louder by the day.
Jani Master, who is also a worker of the Jana Sena party, has worked in several popular Telugu films, including Allu Arjun-starrers 'Ala Vaikunthapuramulo' and 'Pushpa', as well as in Tamil and Hindi films.
Some of his well-known works include choreography for 'Kaavaalaa' from Jailer, 'Ranjithame' from Varisu, and 'Arabic Kuthu' from Beast.
He also won the National Award for Best Choreography for 'Megam Karukkatha' song in the Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam starring Dhanush and Nithya Menen.
Following the case being filed against Jani Master, the Jana Sena party founded by actor and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan was quick to distance itself from the choreographer.
In a statement, the JSP said that Jani Master has been asked to stay away from the party's programmes. “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," it read.
(With inputs from PTI and Online Desk)