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Actress Kajal Karn has strongly rejected filmmaker Deepak Prasad Acharya’s six-point public clarification regarding the controversy surrounding the film ‘Chiranjivi Bhava’, reiterating allegations of racial discrimination, delayed payments, workplace humiliation, and professional misconduct during the production.
In a detailed statement shared on social media, Karn accused the director of attempting to distort the truth, saying no explanation could erase the humiliation she experienced on the film set.
Responding point by point to Acharya’s statement, Karn alleged that a makeup artist made racially offensive remarks targeting her Madhesi identity, including comments that “dark makeup suits Madhesis” and asking her to imitate how people call cattle. She claimed the director remained silent during the incident, describing his silence as tacit support for the abuse.
Karn further alleged that she repeatedly requested the second installment of her agreed remuneration and production expenses for nearly a month but did not receive payment. She argued that refusing to report to the set until outstanding dues were cleared should not be portrayed as indiscipline, maintaining that the production team’s failure to honor payment commitments caused the disruption.
She also disputed Acharya’s claim that only the third installment of her payment remained outstanding, insisting that even the second installment had not been paid on time despite repeated requests.
Addressing the director’s assertion that he learned of her Madhesi identity only after reading her social media post, Karn called the claim implausible, saying her surname and background had already been discussed during the casting process.
The actress also alleged that she was called to Itahari with assurances of payment but later discovered that another performer had already been prepared to replace her without prior notice or professional communication.
Karn additionally questioned why scenes involving manual labor, which she said were absent from the original script, were later associated with her character. While emphasizing that she had no objection to portraying such work, she questioned the intent behind assigning those scenes to her.
Concluding her statement, Karn said the issue extends beyond her personal experience and reflects broader concerns about racial discrimination, labor exploitation, and the treatment of artists in Nepal’s film industry.
Director Deepak Prasad Acharya had earlier issued a six-point statement denying Karn’s allegations. The competing claims made by both sides have not yet been independently verified.
