Actor Darshan apologizes to journos over controversial audio clip leak
calls for uniting, forgetting past incidents
Bengaluru: Sandalwood actor, producer Darshan Thoogudeepa on Friday apologized to the Karnataka media and journalists, over his rift between the journalists following a viral audio clip that leaked a few years back.
The actor Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote, “that the Lets move ahead keeping aside and forgetting the bitter past incidents.”
In the tweet he extended his greetings to the people of Karnataka, Celebrities, senior journalists and media friends on the occasion of Vara Mahalakshmi and continued on his post informing that the rift started about two years back between him and the media, journalists. Meanwhile, prior to the Varamahalakshmi festival my friend Rockline Venkatesh initiated talks with the editors of the leading Kannada media outlets which brought a happy ending to the entire matter, he informed.
Further expressing over the viral audio incident, he stated that “the audio that was Maliciously leaked a few years back had created a controversial situation giving a wrong message to the media, where I had only reacted to the statements of that person, and it was not intended towards the rest of the media industry. I am not aware of that person’s intentions; however I wish that he prospers and that the person should not commit such negative intentions in the future.”
“However, if my words have hurt them, there is nothing wrong in apologizing to the seniors in the media industry. Let there be forgiveness from the fourth pillar of democracy, the media for this untoward incident. There is a need for good media for the betterment of society. I am even proud of the media. In my journey in the world of cinema, the media has provided ample support and promotion with affection. Let's move forward, leaving behind the bitter incident that happened in the past. Let's work together for the progress of Kannada, Kannadigas, Kannada Land, Kannada cinema, I believe that my dearest celebs will be honoring my feelings,” he added.
ಸಮಸ್ತ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಜನತೆಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಸೆಲೆಬ್ರಿಟಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಹಿರಿಯ ಪತ್ರಕರ್ತರಿಗೆ, ಮಾಧ್ಯಮ ಮಿತ್ರರಿಗೆ ವರಮಹಾಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಹಾರ್ದಿಕ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು pic.twitter.com/8I1weYojCX
— Darshan Thoogudeepa (@dasadarshan) August 25, 2023
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Like Rohit and Virat, Sanju can''t be replaced: Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag
Jaipur (PTI): Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag on Thursday said Sanju Samson's void cannot be filled in his side, likening the challenge to replacing stalwarts like Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli.
Sanju, who led the Royals from 2021 to 2025, was traded to Chennai Super Kings in a pre-season move, with Ravindra Jadeja coming in as part of the deal.
"If you talk about Sanju bhaiya, we never think about replacing the kind of player he is," Parag told reporters in a pre-season press conference here.
"We can perhaps look for someone with a similar skillset or have someone bat in his position...
"It’s like there is no replacement for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma... In the same way, there is no replacement for Sanju bhaiya because he is such a good player,” Parag said.
Having represented the franchise for 11 years across two stints, Sanju was RR's most successful captain and leading run-scorer, having guided them to the IPL 2022 final and the playoffs in 2024.
His stature has only grown manifold following a stellar T20 World Cup campaign, where he struck three successive match-defining half-centuries to power India to a historic treble and title defence.
India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final with Sanju being adjudged the Player-of-the-Tournament.
Rajasthan Royals had a forgettable last season, enduring 10 defeats to finish ninth in the 10=team standings.
Parag, who has been picked as the captain following Sanju's exit, said RR lost far too many close matches last year and the 2008 winners need better strategy and planning.
“This year, the focus is to plan better and finish games, which we couldn’t do in the previous edition," he said.
"We need to plan well. Last year, there were about 5-6 games which we lost in the last over or even on the last ball. Had we been able to convert those, or had we calculated better, this question (if RR would try anything new) would not have been asked because we would have qualified (for knockouts) by winning those matches," he said.
"I think that in every T20 game, there are 3-4 decisions that you have to make which change the course of the game. If we take those small decisions with strategy and planning, this year will be different," Parag added.
He further expressed his gratitude to the franchise for keeping their faith in him despite several seasons of struggle.
"I was here when I was just 17 and I have seen all the ups and downs, though more downs than ups till now. I want to thank Rajasthan Royals for supporting me and understanding the cricketer I am,” Parag said.
Sangakkara backs Parag -- the skipper
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The Royals’ director of cricket and head coach Kumar Sangakkara said he has always “admired” Parag as a cricketer and he was picked as a skipper after a robust round of interviews with other candidates.
"It was about trying to find the best person who can lead the Rajasthan Royals. I (first) met Riyan when he was a teenager and have admired him as a cricketer. He's right (when he says) he has gone through a lot and seen a lot," Sangakkara said.
"The most striking thing for me was (to see) how reflective and mature he has become."
“To select a captain once Sanju decided to leave, it was very important that we explore all options. We had shortlisted some candidates that we had a very strict interview process for. Riyan knows the questions were hard. At the end of the day Manoj (Badale) and I sat down and it was evident that the right choice to lead Rajasthan was Riyan,” Sangakkara added.
