Hurt sentiments of Kannada people; controversial dialogue in Lokah will be edited; producers issue apology

KOCHI: Kalyani Priyadarshan and Naslen-starrer 'Lokah Chapter One: Chandra', which has gained pan-India attention, is continuing its dream run at the box office. The film is directed by Dominic Arun, who had earlier directed the film 'Tharangam'. 'Chandra' is the first instalment in the superhero cinematic universe 'Lokah'. Meanwhile, a controversy had erupted following the release of the film after some groups alleged that a particular dialogue from the film hurt the sentiments of the people of Karnataka. Now, the producers have come out with an explanation regarding the matter.

Taking to its social media pages, Wayfarer Films, owned by actor Dulquer Salmaan, announced that the dialogue in question would be removed or edited at the earliest. The production company also stated that the makers never intended to hurt the sentiments of the Kannada people. The company also issued an apology over the matter.

'It has come to our attention that a dialogue delivered by one of the characters in our film 'Lokah: Chapter One' has unintentionally hurt the sentiments of people from Karnataka. At Wayfarer Films, we place people above everything else. We deeply regret this oversight and assure you that no offence was intended. The dialogue in question will be removed/edited at the earliest.

We sincerely apologise for the hurt caused and humbly request you to accept our apology,' the statement read.

Earlier, some people from the Kannada film industry had come out lashing 'Lokah', accusing it of portraying Bengaluru as a city of parties and drugs. They also alleged that the movie insulted the women in Bengaluru. Following this, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar had announced that a probe would be conducted into the incident.