NRIs use ‘code words’ to lure divas at events

The recent arrest of the Telugu couple Kishan Modugumudi alias Sreeraj Chennupati and his wife Chandrakala alias Vebha Jayam in Chicago by the US Federal Authorities for running a sex racket involving some actresses of Telugu and Kannada film industries has brought the spotlight back on actresses involved in flesh trade.

However, the T-town filmmakers say that this is just a tip of the iceberg and the real money-earner for actresses are the cultural events hosted by non-resident Telugus in the USA who have been luring the actresses with big sums for the last five to six years with the support of senior actors in T-town.

“Actually, some cultural events organised by non-Resident Telugus are more sleazy and lucrative than this small-time racket in Chicago. Rich NRIs pay anywhere between Rs 5 lakh to 80 lakh (in US dollars) for actresses who attend these events along with sexual favours. Actually, the affluent Telugus based in the USA send a list of the names of actresses that they want for the event and senior actors in T-town help them to board the flight.

Although, the event is meant for only three or four days, some top heroines and actresses who play `aunty’ roles and even a few pretty TV anchors stayed back for two months and returned with Rs 60 lakh to Rs 1 crore (in US dollars) each,” says producer S K Nayimuddin.

Adding further, producer Radha Rajeswari says, “The rich NRIs who include doctors, engineers, businessmen and even some IT professionals attend these functions and lure actresses with code words like ‘Shall we go for shopping’ and or go out for ‘lunch or dinner’ and they take them out to hotels and resorts. As most of the NRIs attend these events with their families, such code words come in handy. Although, not all the actresses prefer it, but those actresses who pose a selfie with a woman organiser, exhibit their willingness for some fun,”

Another producer N Padmini, who is also an office-bearer in Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, laments, “Some actresses are here to make money through wrong means. Earlier, actresses like Savitri were passionate about their work and donated money for a social cause. But some of the present day actresses have no such morals. For instance, shamefully, a few actresses insisted on staying in a star hotel, when T-town hosted the function to felicitate Ramanaidu for receiving the Dada Saheb Phalke award in Hyderabad and reportedly engaged their clients in the hotel before attending the function.

Some new-age actresses seem to have forsaken their morals to make a quick buck, which is very unfortunate and disgusting,” Closer home, businessmen utilise the services of actresses to clinch their deals with top ministers, politicians, bureaucrats and top bank officials and this ‘honey trap’ is here to stay for good, concludes Nayimuddin.