Prabadeesh Samz, the director and producer of the upcoming Tamil film Gajaana, has issued a clarification distancing his film from controversial remarks made about actor Yogi Babu during the movie’s recent audio and trailer launch event in Chennai. Samz affirmed Yogi Babu’s full cooperation with the Gajaana project and expressed regret over the comments made by a guest speaker, Producer Council executive committee member Raja.
The controversy arose after Raja, speaking at the Gajaana launch, allegedly stated that Yogi Babu demands payment to participate in promotional events for his films. Raja reportedly condemned this alleged practice. Video clips of his speech subsequently gained traction online. In response, Prabadeesh Samz emphasized that Raja’s statements were entirely his personal opinion and reflected issues potentially related to the Producer Council, not the Gajaana film team. “There is no connection whatsoever between his comments and our film Gajaana,” Samz stated.
Detailing Yogi Babu’s involvement, Samz explained, “Yogi Babu has been giving full cooperation to our film from the beginning until now. From providing shooting dates to releasing the first look and other posters, he has offered excellent cooperation.” Regarding the actor’s absence from the launch event, Samz clarified, “He had informed us in advance that he would be unable to participate due to unavoidable prior commitments on the date of the audio and trailer launch. He wished us well for the event to proceed successfully.”
Samz further reinforced the positive relationship by revealing future plans: “Moreover, Yogi Babu is set to act in a very important role in the second part of Gajaana. He has already allocated dates for it.” Concluding his clarification, Prabadeesh Samz formally expressed remorse for the incident: “We express our regret over the controversial comments made about him during our event.”
Gajaana, produced under the Four Square Studios banner, is scheduled for theatrical release on May 9th.