The premiere of the Hindi crime thriller So Long Valley turned chaotic on Friday night after actress-model Ruchi Gujjar publicly confronted and allegedly slapped director-producer Karan Singh during the film's launch event.
What's Happening
- In the video that surfaced online, Ruchi Gujjar is seen arguing with the producers before hitting one of them with her sandals.
- She appeared at the screening with a group of protestors, some of whom were seen raising slogans against the producers.
- Protestors held placards featuring the producers' photos marked with red crosses, and some posters depicted them sitting on donkeys.
- The incident, which was caught on video during the event, went viral on social media.
Background
Ruchi Gujjar accused Karan Singh of cheating her out of Rs 23 lakh under the pretext of launching a television project, which she claims never materialised.
She further alleged that Karan had promised her a share in the profit and on-screen credit.
According to Mumbai Police, an FIR has been registered against Karan at the Oshiwara police station based on Gujjar's complaint. A police official confirmed the FIR was filed on Thursday under relevant sections for cheating. "The complainant said the project never materialised and Singh didn't return her money," he said.
Meanwhile, Gujjar's lawyer said that a separate FIR for assault would be lodged against Singh at Amboli police station.
Reacting to the incident, director Man Singh alleged that Gujjar was attempting a "publicity stunt." In a statement, he said Gujjar had tried to get a stay on the film's release, but the court allowed the makers to proceed as planned.
"Model Ruchi Gujjar and Karan Singh know each other very well. If she paid some amount to Karan for our movie, she should provide the evidence. It's a publicity stunt, nothing else," he said.
According to Gujjar, Karan had approached her last year, claiming he was producing a Hindi television serial that would soon air on Sony TV. "He offered to add me as a co-producer and also sent documents related to the project," she said, according to media reports.
She alleged that between July 2023 and January 2024, she made several payments from her company, SR Event and Entertainment, into accounts linked to Karan's K Studios. However, the project was never launched. "Despite repeated contacts, he kept postponing them and lied," she said in her complaint.
She also claimed that the funds were allegedly used not for the television project but for the production of So Long Valley. "When I got the information that the film is releasing on July 27, I told him to return my money now, on which he started threatening me," she alleged.
So Long Valley is a Hindi-language crime thriller starring Tridha Choudhury and Vikram Kochhar. The film is directed and co-produced by Man Singh.
