Amran makers apologize to student, hide his phone number in the film

In a scene in Amraan, Sai Pallavi’s character tosses a folded piece of paper towards the hero with her mobile number written on it. The number shown in the film belonged to Chennai student VV Vagisan. Photo: Special Arrangement

creator of AmaranThe recently released Tamil film, starring Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi in ​​the lead roles, has issued an apology to VV Vagesan, an engineering student, for inadvertently displaying his personal mobile number in a scene in the film.

The reaction came after the student sent a legal notice to the makers, demanding ₹1.1 crore as compensation for the “untold hardships and mental anguish” caused by the scene. In response, Raj Kamal Films International (RKFI) expressed regret for the “inadvertence” that led to the number’s inclusion and confirmed that it has been removed.

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Mr Vagisan’s ordeal began on October 31, 2024, when Amaran Premiere in theatres. In a particular scene, Sai Pallavi’s character tosses a folded piece of paper towards the protagonist with her mobile number written on it. The number belonged to Mr Vagisan, who was unaware of the film or its connection to Major Mukund Varadarajan, whose life is depicted in the film.

After his release, Mr. Vagisan began receiving calls from strangers in India and abroad, many of whom wanted to speak to Ms. Pallavi. Others believed that the number belonged to Indu Rebecca Varghese, wife of Major Mukund Varadarajan.

Fed up with the constant calls, the student had to either switch off his phone or keep it on silent mode for about a week.

On November 7, 2024, The Hindu Published a story highlighting Mr Vagisan’s plight. Despite his social media posts urging the film’s director and lead actor to address the issue and highlighting his discomfort in the media coverage, no action was initially taken. Left with no other option, he sent a legal notice.

‘Sorry for the error’

In response, RKFI, through its lawyer, expressed deep concern over the distress and inconvenience being caused to Mr. Vagisan due to constant calls from strangers. The producers admitted that the inclusion of the student’s mobile number in the film was an inadvertent mistake that occurred during the computer graphics process.

RKFI’s lawyer denied allegations that the mobile number was intentionally or knowingly displayed. He clarified that the irritation or irritation caused to the student was more due to the actions of some mischievous elements who were making deliberate attempts to take advantage of the mobile number, which was displayed momentarily in the film.

The production house further said that immediate steps have been taken to remove mobile numbers from all theatrical prints in Tamil Nadu and the versions intended for television and OTT platforms.

Commenting on the issue, Mr. Vagisan’s lawyer C. Munusamy criticized the manufacturer’s delayed response. “If RKFI had acted promptly, some damage control could have been achieved. However, their reluctance to acknowledge the issue on time added to my client’s distress, causing him to receive incessant calls from unknown and unscrupulous persons round the clock. This has made their lives miserable and caused them immense mental distress,” he said.

Alleging violation of his client’s privacy and fundamental rights, Mr Munusamy said, “You cannot do business at the cost of a person’s privacy. My client’s ability to carry out his regular activities has been severely affected by this negligence. Despite assurances from manufacturers, they continue to receive calls, leaving them with no option but to approach the court,” he said.