STR: “I know how to handle red card. I gave up my salary of Rs. 3.5 crores for AAA”
While producer Michael Rayappan’s accusations on Simbu talked about the harsh realities in Tamil cinema, STR’s version says he was underpaid. “Michael Rayappan still owes me Rs. 3.5 crores as salary, which I gave up before the release of the film. I had even registered a complaint in the Nadigar Sangam. I know how to handle the red card issued by TFPC,” says Simbu.
Michael Rayappan, in a lengthy statement, lambasted Simbu’s unprofessional behaviour and shoddy misuse of producer’s funds. “I’m standing in the middle of the road because of Simbu. “I have produced nearly 12 films in the last nine years of my career. But never in my faintest dream did I think that producing Simbu’s AAA would send me utterly bankrupt. No heroine in the industry was ready to act with Simbu. Trisha repaid the advance given to her. Lakshmi Menon refused to come on board despite meeting her in Kochi. Shriya finally agreed. Then we finally started shooting. Simbu said it’s very hot in Madurai and asked to change the location to Goa. Then he said Kochi. Finally, we decided to shoot in Dindigul. He said there’s no five-star hotel in the area and again refused,” said Rayappan.
“He himself would decide the shooting dates and call sheet time. But not even a single day he kept up to the time. After the first schedule, before we were planning to shoot a song, he said Shriya is not acting well and asked us to change her and discard her portions. Because of him, we couldn’t shoot her song. For the second schedule, he said let’s go to London stating that Dubai would be hot.He also wanted the film’s EP to be removed from the project because he questioned about the exorbitant expenses when Simbu was staying in a hotel in ECR,” he added.
Rayyappan said Simbu didn’t care to dub for the film. “Despite several attempts, he finally dubbed dialogues from his bathroom and sent the recordings. We had to struggle and enhance it with voice enhancement software because the quality was very bad. Tamannah gave 30 days call sheet but she could act for only 13 days. Shriya filmed for only a week despite her call sheet of 15 days.”
Total number of days planned for shooting: 76
Number of days shooting actually happened: 47+ 1
Number of days Simbu attended shooting: 38
Song and fight: 13 days
Talkie portion: 25 days
