Kochi: Actor Anaswara Rajan has issued a statement in response to the recent defamatory remarks made by director Sri Deepu Karunakaran regarding her alleged lack of cooperation during the promotional activities for their upcoming film, Mr & Mrs Bachelor. The controversy erupted after Karunakaran during an interview, accused Rajan of not supporting the film’s promotion.

In her response, Rajan clarified the situation, explaining that she had always taken her responsibilities seriously, especially when it came to promoting her films. She mentioned that, despite the director's claims, it was she who had taken the initiative during the filming process, even stepping in to resolve financial issues.

" When the payment issue arose during the shoot of the film, even when director Deepu said, 'Do not leave the room without receiving the money from the producer,' even when the shoot had to be stopped, I was the one who took initiative and came forward saying 'let the shoot be over','" Rajan said, addressing Deepu Karunakaran’s remark about her demanding money in advance. She added that his comment was deeply painful not only professionally but also emotionally.

Rajan also addressed accusations regarding her official social media pages, sharing pictures of her stories and posts, she stated that she had indeed shared the film's character poster and trailer on both her Instagram and official Facebook page. She alleged that the director with an intention to mislead referred to her official Facebook page as a "Facebook handle run by her fans". 

She clarified that the only promotional interview online, to date, had been hers and that no updates were given to her or the team about the film’s release. "When we contacted them just two days before the supposed release, we were informed that the release had been postponed due to unresolved issues. We only learned about this when we called them."

The actor expressed frustration over Karunakaran's public criticism of her and her team, including her mother and manager, after the "film’s release was postponed" without any official notification. She suggested that the director’s comments were made with malicious intent, aiming to negatively impact her career during this crucial time. "I believe that these negative statements were made to harm me personally and professionally," Rajan said.

Adding to the controversy, Karunakaran, in an interview on the Reporter channel, implied that his issues with certain actors on set had caused difficulties. However, Rajan pointed out that despite these claims, only her name had been singled out publicly, with no mention of the other actors or crew involved. "Mr. Deepu on Reporter channel had said that there were some actors who had caused him troubles but it was pointless to mention those incidents and names now and that it would not benefit the film or him personally. In that case, Is he implying that dragging my name into this will benefit the film or him personally?" she questioned.

Rajan clarified that while she was not interested in using the "victim card" of being a woman, she had already filed a complaint with the AMMA Association, of which she is a member, in response to the director’s defamatory comments. She also mentioned her intent to take legal action against the YouTube channels and vloggers who have been spreading false news and making baseless comments about her.

In conclusion, Anaswara Rajan reaffirmed her commitment to supporting the promotion of 'Mr & Mrs Bachelor' if given prior intimation, expressing her dedication to her responsibilities as an actor. "I have been promoting my films actively for the past three months, and I understand the importance of promotion in a film's success. It is my responsibility, not just my contract," she added.