FIR Filed Against Choreographer Jani Master Over Sexual Assault Case (image-instagram/alwaysjani)

An FIR has been registered against popular Telugu choreographer Jani Master after a former colleague accused him of sexual assault over the years.

Jani Master, who won the National award for best choreography in the 2022 Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam starring Dhanush, has worked with top actors in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema.

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The complainant has alleged that the sexual assault started when she was still a minor. A case now has been filed against the choreographer in big ticket movies such as Bahubali and Pushpa: The Rise.

In her complaint to the police, the woman alleged that he assaulted her many times during their shoots in different cities, including Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad. She added that Jani even abused her at her own residence in Narsingi in Hyderabad several times.

As per the Times of India report, the choreographer acquainted the woman after she appeared in a reality show. The woman said it had all begun in 2019 when Jani Master asked her to join his team as an assistant choreographer.

She alleged that during her visit to Mumbai for a shoot with Jani Master and two other assistant choreographers, he allegedly sexually assaulted her in the hotel. Jani later threatened her with dire consequences and warned to ruin her career if she talked about the assault to anyone.

Over the next few months, Master would frequently summon her to his cabin and sexually assault her, threatening to ruin her career if she did not comply each time. She also alleged that Master would show up at her home some night and on occasions, he and his wife would barge into her room and slap her.

Jani Master has been charged under sections of rape and criminal intimidation.

The woman approached the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce with allegations against the choreographer. Jhansi, the chairperson of the panel, told NDTV that the complainant was a minor when the sexual assault first occurred and this would attract provisions of the POCSO Act.

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The film body took over the matter and advised her to approach the police. The panel had also asked the Telugu dance director’s body of which Jani Master is the president to not allow him to discharge any function.

Jani Master is also part of Pawan-Kalyan-led Jana Sena, the ruling party of Andhra Pradesh. The party has asked to stay away from the party’s event.