Hyderabad: Tollywood choreographer Jani Master booked for raping junior choreographer

Hyderabad: Raidurgam police have booked famous Tollywood choreographer Jani Master, who joined the Janasena Party (JSP) before the AP elections, for sexually assaulting a 21-year-old fellow choreographer.

The victim is a native of Madhya Pradesh. She alleged the assault occurred during outdoor shoots in Chennai, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, as well as at her Narsingi residence.

Jani Master has been booked under section 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of IPC.

The case has been transferred to Narsingi police for further investigation. Besides legal action, the Director General of the Women Safety Wing Telangana, Shikha Goel has recommended an internal inquiry under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act.

In her complaint, the victim stated that she came to Hyderabad in 2017 from her native place and she was elected contestant in Dhee-ll in Hyderabad. When she was participating in the Dhee 12 a television show, she got introduced to Jani Master aka Shaik Jani Basha.

She got a call from Jani Master team to assist him as assistant Choreographer. In 2019 she joined Jani Master 's team as an assistant Choreographer.

Whenever she went out of Hyderabad for the shoot, her mother did not travel with her as there were no tickets, stay and all so, they got a call from a Mumbai project for which she along with Jani Master and other two male assistants had to visit Mumbai.

During their stay in Mumbai hotel, Jani master sexually assaulted her forcefully and he threatened her not inform to any one, otherwise she would be fired from the work, and she wouldn't be able to work in the industry anymore. Out of this fear, she had to stay silent, then he continuously harassed her multiple times in every shoot, the victim said.

The victim also said that Jani Master used to ask for sexual favours in the shooting vanity van as she entered the vanity, he removed his pants and harassed her in shoot sets in front of everyone by touching her improperly. "Once I entered into a vanity he asked for sexual desire, on refusing he holds my hair and crushed my head to the mirror. Later he starts to go to visit my home late at night ransack my home and destroy Scooty and he forces me to come outside but I never agreed to all this he pressurize me to convert my religion and marry him," she said.

After a few of this when the victim worked individually, Jani Master along with his wife came to her home and forcefully made her open the door, they went inside and started questioning her about religion and Jani Master's wife slapped her multiple times, she said. Jani Master does not allow her to work individually or on any other projects as an opportunity to come. Jani Master used to went a victim work place and started threatening her by sending everyone outside he pressured her to go with him and marry him right at the moment and he threatened her that wouldn't be allowed in the industry.

"On August 17, when I was was going to her home from temple, some unknown person threatened me and on my future. On August 28, I got a strange parcel which hang to my home door without name, inside of that written as "congratulation for son but be very careful". First in the most of the shoots, they are hiring me but within sometime of work, I am getting a call and they are informing that they are going with someone else out instead of her. Therefore, I am requesting the police to take necessary action against Jani Master," the victim said.

Who is Jani Master?

Jani Master has choreographed more than 150 songs in Telugu and Tamil film industry. He has also worked in Kannada and Hindi cinema film industry. His choreography style is a mix of western and folk dances.

Jani Master won the National Film Award for the Best Choreographer of 2024.

Earlier complaints

Jani Master has been accused of harassment earlier in 2019 too. Dancer Satish filed a complaint of harassment against him in 2019. In 2015, he was jailed for six months for a fight at a college. These cases are still under investigation.