Chetan reveals the reason behind dropping Mareyalaare

I, Chetan Kumar, am a member of the Kannada film fraternity, a published writer and a social justice activist. For "Mareyalaare," I have given over six months of my time and dedication — while rejecting tens of other projects in the process — to work on every element of the film including writing the entire screenplay and dialogues along with Ms. Charisma Bharadwaj.

Unfortunately, director Sharat Khadri (who also happens to be the producer of the venture) terminated the project "Mareyalaare" due to his seemingly large amounts of ego and insufficient amounts of funds. To get the record straight, it was Sharat Khadri who asked me, as I was the script-writer, to include a new character (one that I had created months ago), after the project had already completed four days of shooting because he wanted to act that role. When I said that the inclusion of a new character would be detrimental to the flow of the film, he abrasively, arbitrarily, & unilaterally called off the project on the morning of August 7th, 2010. Although I still wanted to continue with the film, he began to concoct false and defamatory reasons for stopping the film and went to the Kannada Film Chamber with these slanderous accusations against me, demanding financial compensation.

In response to Mr. Khadri's allegations, the entire Film Chamber led by the Directors' Association & Writers' Association along with several other members investigated the matter and unanimously came to the conclusion on September 5, 2010, that I (Chetan Kumar) have always and only worked in the best interest of the film "Mareyalaare", and was in the right and that he (Sharat Khadri) was making fallacious financial as well as attitudinal accusations, disgracing the creative medium as a whole, and was in the wrong.

In response to Mr. Khadri's lies, fabricated allegations, & unethical behavior, the Directors' and Writers' Associations and all members of the Film Chamber have censured Mr. Khadri from ever entering the film industry in any capacity whatsoever. Also, they have given me complete support and permission to move forward in any way I see fit.

Members of the Directors' Association, Writers' Association, and Film Chamber expressed that the "Mareyalaare" decision stands as a landmark ruling as it marks the first time in the 76-year history of the Kannada Film Industry that the hero has won the rights of the film over the director or the producer, for it is the hero who has worked to continue and improve the project while the director and producer have found all reasons to hurt and compromise the venture.

I thank all members of the Kannada Film Chamber for taking time out to thoroughly research the proceedings of "Mareyalaare" and without any partisanship, come to an ethical judgment for the sake of good cinema. In the future, I hope to proceed with my artistic wanderlust and work in projects where creativity and imagination take prominence and are respected. Also, I assure you, that I have learnt my lesson when it comes to selecting a good team and from now on, will be more weary in judging the character of the individuals that I work with before heading forward.