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Bengaluru: Director Prem has filed a formal complaint against producer Kanakapura Srinivas, accusing him of using abusive language and making derogatory remarks against him at a recent public event.

On Saturday (February 7), Prem visited the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce and submitted a written complaint to Chamber president Jayamala. The complaint follows an incident in which Kanakapura Srinivas allegedly made insulting comments against Prem using objectionable words during a programme.

In his complaint, Prem stated that he has been working in the Kannada film industry for over 25 years as an actor and director and has delivered several well-received films. He said that his professional career has been free of controversy.

Prem explained that in 2004, producer R S Srinivas approached him to direct a film and paid an advance of Rs 9 lakh, of which Rs 5 lakh was given by cheque and Rs 4 lakh in cash, through K P Srikanth. Following this, Prem said he set up an office, formed a team and began writing the story and screenplay for the project.

According to Prem, despite repeated attempts to contact the producer after completing the story and screenplay, he received no response for nearly a year. During this period, he claimed that neither office expenses nor team costs were reimbursed by the producer, forcing him to bear expenses of around Rs 15 to Rs 20 lakh from his own funds.

Prem further stated that during this time, he missed several opportunities to act and direct other films, which led to significant financial losses.

He said that several years later, R S Srinivas contacted him again and requested the return of the advance amount, citing financial difficulties. Prem claimed he informed the producer that he had already spent more than the advance on the project. However, understanding the producer’s situation, Prem said he paid Rs 5 lakh from his personal funds—Rs 2.5 lakh by cheque and Rs 2.5 lakh in cash—in the presence of producer S R Govind. He added that the money was accepted and acknowledged at that time.

Prem alleged that on February 4, 2026, during a press conference held at M M D Legacy for the producer’s film Cotton Pete Gate, Kanakapura Srinivas made baseless allegations against him and used abusive language targeting both Prem and his mother.

He stated that the remarks caused mental distress to his wife, actor-producer Rakshita Prem, and their son, and also hurt his fans and well-wishers. Prem requested the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce to intervene in the matter and take strict action.

It may be noted that a few days earlier, Kanakapura Srinivas had publicly made allegations naming Prem, music director Arjun Janya and others.