Allegations Surface Against Harish Arasu in Film Promotion Scam Involving Yash’s Mother

Post by : Mina Rahman

Pushpalatha, the mother of esteemed Kannada actor Yash, has formally accused film promoter Harish Arasu of extensive cheating, fund misuse, and threats. As she steps into her role as a producer for her debut film Kothalavadi, Pushpalatha claims that Harish failed to uphold promotional agreements while securing significant funds under her name.

The charges were filed in an FIR at the High Grounds Police Station, where Pushpalatha described her engagement with Harish to manage promotions for Kothalavadi, filmed from May 24, 2025, to mid-July at various locations including Talakadu, Gundlupet, Mysuru, and Chamarajanagar. The agreed promotion fee was set at Rs 23 lakh.

According to her allegations, she paid Harish Rs 10 lakh on May 18, 2025, followed by Rs 5 lakh on May 21. She also claims that he acquired an additional Rs 24 lakh through different channels representing the film, culminating in total alleged misuse of Rs 64,87,700, including Rs 4 lakh in cash for print media advertising on July 31.

Despite these substantial payments, she asserts that no promotional activity occurred leading up to the film’s scheduled release on August 1, 2025. Although a trailer launch took place on July 23, actor Yash reportedly had to cover Rs 21,75,000 out of his own funds due to Harish’s inaction. Moreover, several social media and film promoters remained unpaid, creating further complications.

Upon questioning Harish regarding the lack of promotional efforts, he allegedly threatened her and sought Rs 27 lakh in return. She later found no promotional material on the film’s release day and was confronted with Harish’s negative publicity efforts. Additionally, he purportedly threatened to share defamatory comments about her on social media.

Her complaint outlines instances where actors Mahesh Guru and Swarnalatha (Rannayak), seemingly under Harish’s influence, made disparaging comments about her online, tarnishing her reputation.

On August 15, 2025, Pushpalatha and film director Shriraj Ravari allegedly received threatening calls from Harish Arasu, Manu, Nitin, and other unidentified individuals.

In her complaint, Pushpalatha seeks legal measures against Harish Arasu, Manu, Nitin, Mahesh Guru, and Swarnalatha (Rannayak) citing allegations of cheating, intimidation, defamation, and conspiracy.

This case has gained significant traction within the Kannada film community due to the high-profile nature of the individuals implicated and the vast sums of money purportedly misappropriated for promotional purposes. Authorities are likely to initiate investigations, summoning all relevant parties for questioning.