JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Choreographer Jani Master's National Award suspended amid sexual assault allegations
Ministry of I&B has revoked Jani Master’s invitation for the National Award ceremony following the sexual assault charges against him.
Trigger Warning: This article contains information on sexual assault which might be triggering for some readers.
Shaik Jani Basha, well-known as Jani Master, was honored with the National Award for Best Choreography for Dhanush's song Megham Karukkatha from Thiruchitrambalam. He was going to share his big win with choreographer Sathish Krishnan. However, the National Film Awards Cell of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a public statement revealing that Jani Master's National Award has been suspended.
The choreographer's National Award has been revoked following his arrest in a POCSO case. The National Film Awards Cell has also withdrawn the invitation sent to Jani Master to attend the prestigious event at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The statement from National Film Awards Cell of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting read, "In view of the seriousness of the allegation and the matter being subjudice, the Competent Authority has decided to suspend the National Film Award of the Best Choreography for the Year 2022 to Shri Shaik Jani Basha for the film Thiruchitrambalam until further orders."
Check out the full statement below:
Earlier, Jani Master was granted conditional interim bail by the court to attend the National Award ceremony. According to a report by Deccan Chronicle, the bail plea was sanctioned from October 6 to October 10. It was also reported that the choreographer was asked to refrain from giving any interviews to the media and appear before the court on October 10. However, with the National Award being suspended, it is yet to see what happens next.
For the unversed, Jani Master was arrested in Goa last month following the sexual assault charges against him. A woman, who used to work as his assistant, lodged a complaint stating that she was abused on several occasions by the choreographer. As the victim was a minor at the time, charges under the POCSO Act were imposed on him.
Disclaimer: If you or anyone you know is suffering from any kind of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse, do not hesitate to seek help. There are several helplines available for the same; remember, you are not alone in the fight.
Latest Articles
