A formal complaint has been filed against Kannada actor Dhruva Sarja at Mumbai's Amboli Police Station, escalating the long-running conflict between the star and producer-director Raghavendra Hegde into a court battle.
According to a report by Cinema Express, the case is the result of Hegde's grave accusations that the actor did not fulfil his obligations after accepting a Rs 3 crore advance payment for a proposed movie.
The conflict began almost ten years ago, soon after the triumph of Hegde's first feature film, Jaggu Dada (2016), in which Darshan played the lead. Hegde claims that after the movie's premiere, he started talking to Dhruva Sarja about a new project that he had tentatively named The Soldier.
The director claims that the two kept in regular contact regarding the script between 2016 and 2018, during which Dhruva allegedly asked for Rs 3 crore in advance, even before a formal contract had been signed.
Hegde further alleges that Dhruva informed him the sum would be used for purchasing a flat. To meet the demand, the filmmaker claims he secured a high-interest loan of ₹3.15 crore, ultimately transferring the amount to RH Entertainment, a company reportedly owned by the actor. The understanding, according to Hegde, was that Dhruva would commit to working on the project.
An official agreement was eventually executed on 21 February 2019. However, Hegde maintains that in addition to the initial advance, he also incurred expenses of ₹28 lakh for publicity efforts and script development. Despite this, he alleges Dhruva later distanced himself from the film altogether.
Several complaints were filed when the matter was first brought before the Karnataka Film Chamber, but the impasse remained. Hegde filed a formal complaint in Mumbai after being left without a resolution.
As a result, the Amboli Police have now filed a formal complaint (FIR), firmly establishing the dispute in the legal system and rekindling public interest in one of the longer-running behind-the-scenes controversies in Kannada cinema.
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