OKKUTTA BAN 10 PRODUCERS
Support To Ravichandran

Report by - CNB          Photos - K.M. VEERESH    Date - 03rd November 2006 Time - 5.00 PM

The Karnataka chalanachithra karmikara sangha (Okkoota) has announced that it will henceforth not co-operate with ten film producers for their pronounced and anti Kannada ant labour stance. The producers who have come under the ban of the OKKUTA include Sandesh Nagaraj, Producer of Kannada film producers association, K.C.N. Kumar, Vice President of the KPA and General Secretary of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, Veteran producer K. Manju, S.V. Rajendra Singh Babu, former president of the Kannada film directors association, Munirathna, Ganesh, Umesh Banakar, Ba. Ma. Harish, Praveen Kumar and Mohan.

The Okkoota has also decided to start a production company to make good quality films in this Suvarana Karnataka year.

“We are bent upon making good films. We will raise finance through NFDC or other commercial organizations to make quality films’ declared Actor Ashok,
President of the Okkoota and Krishna, Secretary.

The immediate fall out of this decision is that the production activities of the remaining portions of the big budget films like “Maathaad Maathaad Mallige’, “Hari Hara’ and “Ugadi’ with Vishnuvardhan, Upendra and Ravichandran respectively will be affected.

Ashok said the producers who have been banned by their organisation have shown their anti Kannada stance by encouraging the dubbing culture and have even warned that cut outs of non Kannada stars would be put in the theatres. “Some of them are acting like rowdy elements and abusing and assaulting cine workers’ he said. Ashok and Krishna came down heavily against Praveen Kumar who has dared to threaten a big star like Ravichandran in Ootacamund during the shooting of the film “Ugadi. “If a person of the stature of Ravichandran is threatened then you can just imagine how these people will behave with defenseless workers.

Ashok also said that the Kannada producers association has to take action against producer Mohan who has assaulted film director outside the "Janardhan Hotel' in presence of some senior producers for speaking against the Dubbing culture in an interview with the Zee TV Channel. He said that the producers association is keeping silent over the matter though the Kannada film directors association has written two letters to the producers association urging for action against the erring producer.

Ashok also said that the Kannada producers association has to take action against producer Mohan who has assaulted film director outside the "Janardhan Hotel' in presence of some senior producers for speaking against the Dubbing culture in an interview with the Zee TV Channel. He said that the producers association is keeping silent over the matter though the Kannada film directors association has written two letters to the producers association urging for action against the erring producer.

They also speak badly of all veteran film stars who have been the backbone of the industry’ said Krishna.

Meanwhile, Actor Ravichandran confirmed that he was indeed threatened by Praveen Kumar, but he did not care about it. Talking to film reporters in his
residence, Ravidhandran who was busy doing the re-recording work of his next film “Neelakanta’ recounted the incident that had happened in Ooty while
shooting for “Ugadi’. “Even before working for the song schedule of the film in Ooty, I had informed the producers that I had to come to Bangalore to attend
some marriage engagement function. They had agreed to give a day’s break.. When I was just about to leave the shooting spot to catch a flight from Coimbatore. Praveen Kumar tried came menacingly towards me and told that he will not allow me to proceed. I was aghast at his behavior, but other producers like Ganesh and Banakar came to me to offer apologies and they sent Praveen out of the spot’ he said. He said that he has decided not to accept films from producers who have shown their pronounced anti Kannada stature by encouraging dubbing culture.

Ravichandran said that he will be speaking to other Kannada stars about this particular incident and seek their support in his mission to eliminate the rowdy
culture in the Kannada film industry.

Also Read
Govindu Attacks The Coterie - Click
Rockline - Ashok Clash - Click