AP Arjun denies taking commission for CG work in Martin

Dhruva Sarja's film Martin is caught in legal crosshairs, with director AP Arjun facing allegations of accepting a hefty commission for its CG work. Producer Uday Mehta entrusted Digital Terrain Productions Pvt Ltd with its crucial CG tasks, but accusations emerged of fund misappropriation by graphic designers Sunil and Satya Reddy and of a substantial commission paid to Arjun. The Basaveshwaranagar police, who have arrested graphic designer Satya Reddy, questioned director AP Arjun over allegations of accepting a commission of at least Rs 50 lakhs for CG and VFX work for the film. Arjun denied these claims, stating, "These are false allegations made by Satya Reddy. I cooperated fully during police questioning and provided my statement. There is no record of me receiving any such payment."

Arjun further pointed out that his name does not appear in the FIR and emphasised that Satya and Sunil Reddy are the principal accused in this matter. Discussing challenges faced during the film's production, Arjun noted, "Disputes are common in large projects. Satya Reddy has accused not only me but also our cameraman, editor, and assistant director."

Despite ongoing turmoil and disagreements with producer Uday Mehta, Arjun assured that Martin would release as scheduled on October 11. He also expressed optimism about the imminent release of the film, which took three and a half years to be made.

Similar challenges have arisen in relation to incidents involving fraud allegations regarding other productions, such as Karataka Damanaka, made under Rockline Productions, and Vrushabha, starring Mohanlal and directed by Nanda Kishore.

When queried about the controversy, producer Uday Mehta responded, "The investigation is ongoing, and I trust the legal process to unfold. We are focused on ensuring that Martin releases on October 11 and our commitment to meet the targeted deadline."