Casting couch shadow over Orissa films

Trouble is mounting for the controversial actor-turned-politician Papu Pom Pom, alias Tatwa Prakash Satpathy, as a complaint against him has been filed for allegedly exploiting a minor girl on the pretext of giving her a break in Odia movies.

The Friends Foundation Trust, an NGO, on Saturday evening filed a complaint on behalf of the 15-year-old victim with the mahila police station here alleging that the actor sexually exploited and intimidated a minor girl after promising to get her roles in movies.

Pradipta Swain, one of Papu’s aides, has also been named in the complaint.

The victim, a class IX student in a private school in Bhubaneswar, on Sunday approached a television channel to throw light on the incident.

In a similar development on Sunday, an actress filed a complaint with the same police station against six persons from the entertainment industry, levelling serious allegations, including attempt to molest and threat to murder.

Television actress Sarmistha Priyadarshini filed a complaint against six persons belonging to the regional film and television industry for sending lewd texts on social media platforms, seeking sexual favours and threatening her of dire consequences. The actress filed the complaint against directors Tapas Sargaria and Chandi Parija, event manager Bapi Jena, producer Subrat Naik and TV serial producers Nihar Samal and Bini Samal. In her complaint, she alleged that Bapi Jena was forcing her to spend a night with him in his hotel. Sargaria, Jena and Naik denied the allegations.

“Action should be initiated against these persons for what they have done with me. They should be punished for their acts,” the complainant Sarmistha Priyadarshini said.

Ollywood industry is now mired in a controversy over casting couch and alleged links of senior actors with chit fund companies that have duped investors crores of rupees.