Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam actor-director Joju George is facing controversy after allegedly threatening a film reviewer over a negative review of his directorial debut "Pani".
According to reports, Joju George called reviewer Adarsh H S after he posted a critical review of the film on Facebook, specifically objecting to a rape scene. The audio recording of the phone conversation between the two has gone viral on social media.
In the phone conversation, George is heard challenging Adarsh to meet him in person if he "had the guts," to which Adarsh responded defiantly, questioning why he should be afraid of the actor.
During the call, Adarsh reiterated his criticism of a rape scene in Pani. Later, the reviewer posted on Facebook, alleging that the actor-director had threatened him, and shared the audio clip of their conversation on social media.
The exchange quickly stirred up controversy, prompting George to issue a statement clarifying that he had no intention to threaten Adarsh. In a Facebook Live session, Joju George denied the allegations, claiming Adarsh was deliberately spreading negative reviews of Pani across social media platforms.
Joju George announced his intention to pursue legal action, stating,"I will proceed with this legally."
In response, Adarsh told media outlets that if Joju George files a complaint, he will also take legal action with evidence of the alleged threats.
The incident has sparked debate on freedom of speech and criticism in the film industry.
With PTI inputs