Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Oct 26: Efforts made by Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) officials to bring actors, Arjun Sarja and Shruthi Hariharan, to reach a compromise failed as during the talks arranged by it in the presence of veteran actor, Ambaresh, on Thursday the actors struck to their stands and were reluctant to budge.

KFCC had intervened in the matter after actress Shruthi Hariharan charged Sarja of behaving inappropriately with her during the shooting of a film in the past. Arjun Sarja filed defamation suit against Shruthi on Thursday, seeking compensation of five crore rupees. In addition, his manager, Shivarjun, filed complaint against the actress at the cyber crime police station here.

The industry and the people associated with it were hopeful that some understanding would emerge out of the talks between the two actors on Thursday. Sarja, after the talks, who appeared before the media for the first time after the controversy broke out, said that he is firm on sticking to his stand of being not guilty. He said he was feeling sad and let down. He added that during the career of 34 years, he and his family had treated KFCC with high respect. He expressed the hope that the suit he has filed would be able to bring the real persons behind this allegation to book and they will face punishment for the wrongs they have done.

Shruthi, speaking to the media, informed that she had withheld her decision to file a complaint as she had been called for talks by KFCC. She said she has understood that two separate cases have been registered against her, one in the court and the other in the police station. She said she is happy that Sarja has chosen to take the matter to the court. She said being a victim, she does not propose to apologize, and she will take a decision about going legal after waiting for KFCC to take a final decision on Friday.

Ambareesh, who was present when the two met, said he has asked both the actors to cogitate on the matter and take a decision by Friday as the matter is before the court. He said that it is a sensitive issue, about which both have expressed a sense of anguish. He said that the KFCC officials are disappointed as they had hoped to close the matter once and for all here. On the issue of forming an Internal Complaints Committee within KFCC, Ambareesh said that KFCC is in the process of forming it.