Malayalam actor Anugraha S Nambiar recently released a video alleging that the makers of the Tamil JioHotstar web series Resort have not paid her fee and have engaged in contractual traps. She also levelled serious accusations against the lead actor of the series, Tamil actor-filmmaker Vijay Kumar Rajendran, and his wife, Nakshatra Murthy. Since Anugraha’s statement, Vijay and Nakshatra have provided their side of the story. The controversy explained:
Anugraha S Nambiar’s allegations against Vijay Kumar, Resort makers
In a video posted on her Instagram, Anugraha alleged that she is losing out on work after signing a contract with the makers of Resort, alleging that they haven’t paid her for the work completed either. “I lost a project with JioHotstar itself because they forced me to block my dates, promising an important role in Resort, only to lock me into this situation,” she alleged. Stating that she hails from a small village in Kerala, she alleged that the newcomers were being exploited.
Anugraha further stated that the whole ordeal has affected her emotionally and physically, with the stress resulting in epileptic seizures and a fall that required hospitalisation. She also claimed that due to the makers of Resort not paying her salary, she was struggling financially and even facing starvation.
The actor also levelled allegations against Vijay and his wife, Nakshatra. She alleged that Nakshatra sent an abusive voice message to one of her friends when she was hospitalised to force her back to work. She also claimed that Vijay was unempathetic to her ordeal and allegedly told her friend that Anugraha needn’t return to the series.
Malavika Sreenath seemed to back Anugraha’s allegations as she commented: “I met @anugraha_s_nambiar_ during Chennai audition. We all went for audition 3 times to Chennai from Kerala with our own money. Even during auditions they were really scamming us and offering LEAD ROLE and negotiating salary saying this is a great opportunity and 1000 girls are waiting for this role. I had lost lots of money on just auditing for the show. Also they treat you very badly!!!!!”
Nakshatra Murthy denies allegations
Nakshatra first responded to Anugraha, denying all allegations, claiming that the friend in question had called her late at night and screamed at her. “I was patiently speaking to him. I found out later that he was Anugraha’s boyfriend. Vijay Kumar is just an actor. He is not the creator or producer of the series. Why should we give her money? Why should she ask her boyfriend to resort to such means?” claiming that the friend had also hurled abusive words.
She also alleged that Anugraha’s issue and their reaction were ‘pre-planned’, claiming that they wanted to ‘trigger’ her and her husband. “Anugraha is playing with a proper script. There is no relation between Vijay and your financial distress. You knew what you were signing for. You should have read the agreement many times,” she said, as per SCREEN. The video has now been deleted from her Instagram.
Anugraha levels more allegations against Vijay
In response to Nakshatra’s video, Anugraha made another statement claiming there were more ‘victims’ like her in this ordeal. “When we asked the production team, they said Vijay Kumar is writing the story. They would say, only when they write the story and your character, can we shoot, right? I have addressed this issue with Vijay Kumar several times, who made lofty promises of elevating my character,” she claimed. Nakshatra also claimed that when it was Vijay who made her these promises, it’s whom she would ask for her remuneration.
She also busted Nakshatra’s claim that the caller was her boyfriend, adding that he was only a friend. She also said, “If I wanted negative publicity and PR, I would have levied allegations against him in one month. Why should I wait for so long? I wasted my one year waiting for his fake promises to come true.”
Vijay Kumar Rajendran breaks silence
As the controversy snowballed, even Vijay broke the silence and denied Anugraha’s allegations. In the video, he claims that after the controversy broke, he spoke with the production team and learned that Anugraha had already been paid for her work on the show. He also alleged that she was paid ₹25,000 in advance and that she has yet to return ₹10,000-15,000 to them.
He also claimed that he had never discussed financial matters with any of the artists as that was the production team’s responsibility. Vijay also claimed that Anugraha was given permission to leave when she needed to go to another audition, even though she was supposed to be working. “She did only one scene for us then, and the producers still paid her for the entire day,” he alleged.
Vijay claimed that nobody in Kollywood knew Anugraha when she was hired for Resort, and that she is now a central character in a film. “But just because you play the lead role in a new film, how can we change our story accordingly and increase your prominence? You agreed to do a supporting character in Resort, worked for two months, and then signed the agreement,” he claimed. Towards the end, Vijay mentioned that he is considering filing a defamation suit against Anugraha, adding that they have all the evidence against her.