Veteran producer Sujatha Vijayakumar issued a statement on social media in response to son-in-law Jayam Ravi’s shocking allegations of physical, mental, emotional, and severe financial abuse amid his divorce from Aarti Ravi. She firmly refuted his claims of using his signature as surety in financial dealings and addressed accusations labelling her a ‘tormentor,’ ‘gold digger,’ and ‘family breaker,’ saying these claims have left her with no choice but to speak publicly for the first time in her 25-year career.
On Saturday, Sujatha shared how she had to borrow Rs 100 crore from financers for Ravi’s films. Her statement read, “In 2007, I produced my first film, Veerappu, with Sundar C in the lead role. It was a profitable venture. I continued my work in television production until 2017. It was Mr. Jayam Ravi who encouraged me to return to film production, and that led to the beginning of Adangamaru. I took on the project with a clear intention: to never mix family bonds with professional commitments, for the sake of harmony. While the film received good reviews, it unfortunately did not succeed commercially. Yet, Mr. Jayam Ravi continued to insist that I produce more films for him, and I obliged.”
“Across the three films I produced starring Mr. Jayam Ravi – Adangamaru, Bhoomi, and Siren – I had to borrow nearly 100 crores from financiers. Twenty- five percent of that amount went directly toward his salary and applicable taxes, with all transactions duly recorded and documented,” she added.
Check out the full statement:
Recalling one of Ravi’s allegations, Sujatha shared that he had accused her of using his name as surety for these financial dealings. Denying the claims, she stated that she would never misuse his name—not even if he were just an actor. “Being my son-in-law, how could I ever jeopardise his future like that?” she added.
“In fact, to protect him, I signed countless documents myself – sometimes on blank sheets handed over by financiers, sometimes without knowing what came next – all to ensure that his name was never burdened,” read the statement.
She added, “Mr. Jayam Ravi has been like a son to me. We have admired him and celebrated him as a hero. But to win sympathy by spreading false allegations against us only tarnishes the image he has built over the years. We still want him to be our hero – always.”
