It's not me in Nityananda sex video: Ranjita

Popular South Indian actress Ranjitha on Friday denied that she was the woman in a much-publicized sex romp video involving self-proclaimed godman Nityananda Swami.

"I am not the woman in the video. What has happened in the last few months has been fabricated," Ranjitha said at a press meet in Bangalore in her first public appearance after the sex scandal broke out in March.

Ranjita also lodged a police complaint on Thursday against Lenin Karuppan, former driver of Nityananda, who reportedly captured the said video showing the swami in the sex act and then released the video clippings. In her complaint, she accused Lenin of maligning her image.

Ranjitha said she had no knowledge about alleged sexual exploitation by the swami. "I do not know anything about this. I came to know it only from media reports." She, however, asserted that she has been a devotee of Nityananda for over a year now as she was interested in social work and spirituality.

The actress claimed that media had hounded and maligned her just because she was a public personality. She denied she had absconded after the video was first telecast by some Tamil TV channels.

"I was scared. I was threatened. Hence I left for the United States on March 3 and returned on June 14. I am an ordinary woman with my own fears. I did not know what will happen to me or to my parents. So I went away. I was not absconding," she said, adding that though the video episode had harmed her career, she is still getting offers.

Tapasee debuts in Malayalam

Jhummandi Naadam fame Tapasee, who is currently busy with five movies in Tamil and Telugu (Aadukalam, Mr. Perfect, Vastadu Naa Raju, Veera and Vanthaan Vendraan), will be the heroine in Sohan Seenulal's Malayalam film Doubles, starring Mammootty and Nadia Moithu as twins. This will be her first Malayalam film.

Doubles, produced by K.K. Narayandas under the banner of Reels on Wheels, has already commenced its shooting and is being shot at a bungalow at Kundaloor Road about five kilometres away from Puducherry. P. Sukumar is the cinematographer. Suraj, Salim Kumar, Saiju Kurup, Anoop Chandran, Abu Salim and Jaya Menon are also in the cast.

Dhanush rates ‘Aadukalam’ as his best

Even as Sun Pictures started its promotional activities for the Pongal release ‘Aadukalam’, protagonist of the film Dhanush has rated the movie as his best venture so far.

“On January 14th, my most anticipated movie ever will hit the screens. Aadukalam is my best performance so far. I think you guys too will feel the same,” the actor has said.

‘Aadukalam’ has brought together Dhanush and director Vettrimaran, the ‘Polladhavan’ duo, once again. Tapsee is the heroine while music is by G V Prakash Kumar, the most promising young music composer of Kollywood.

On his part, director Vettrimaran says, “The film is a contemporary take on a youngster who lives in Madurai. I did enough research before shooting Aadukalam. Dhanush has given his best to the movie.”

Dhanush rates ‘Aadukalam’ as his best

Even as Sun Pictures started its promotional activities for the Pongal release ‘Aadukalam’, protagonist of the film Dhanush has rated the movie as his best venture so far.

“On January 14th, my most anticipated movie ever will hit the screens. Aadukalam is my best performance so far. I think you guys too will feel the same,” the actor has said.

‘Aadukalam’ has brought together Dhanush and director Vettrimaran, the ‘Polladhavan’ duo, once again. Tapsee is the heroine while music is by G V Prakash Kumar, the most promising young music composer of Kollywood.

On his part, director Vettrimaran says, “The film is a contemporary take on a youngster who lives in Madurai. I did enough research before shooting Aadukalam. Dhanush has given his best to the movie.”

CM launches Vairamuthu’s book

Without even receiving Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Chennai airport, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi launched a book by his good friend and poet Vairamuthu in Chennai on Sunday evening.

Making a reference to his absence at the airport, the Chief Minister said, “I had to go to the airport to receive the Prime Minister, this is part of the protocol, but I came here because I wanted to honour a poet.”

Recalling how kings in the past had respected Tamil poets, Karunanidhi, who himself is a poet in his own right, said it was out of his love for Tamil and Tamil poetry that he did not go to the airport.

The book contained 1,000 songs of Vairamuthu, from his first film to the recent ‘Enthiran’. Superstar Rajinikanth, Kamal Hassan, A R Rahman, K Balachander, M S Viswanathan, Vaalee, V C Guhanathan and others were present at the function.

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