BANGALORE: It's about lucre, language, gender bias and chauvinism. While actor Darshan, who allegedly battered his wife, burnt her with cigarette stubs and threatened her at gun point, has escaped Sandalwood's wrath, Nikita Thukral , the actress who is said to be the reason for the rift between Darshan and his wife, has been banned for three years from acting in Kannada movies .

The Karnataka Film Producers' Association 's Sunday ban has met with public silence by the stalwarts of Sandalwood, implying a tacit approval for such an action. The big stars, producers and directors see no reason to ask for tough measures against an actor who indulges in domestic violence and battery.

Fearing the consequences of antagonising the powerful producers' lobby, most of the big names of Sandalwood, when contacted by TOI, preferred to not react. "Please leave me out of this. You know why," said a senior actress. Even the industry's apex body, Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, doesn't want to speak. "We don't want to interfere," said KFCC president Basant Kumar Patil. National award-winning director Girish Kasaravalli said: "This moral policing was uncalled for. It reflects a gender bias."

Money is a major factor why the producers don't want to act against Darshan, one of the most popular Kannada actors. He has four incomplete projects worth more than Rs 30 crore. Karnataka Film Producers' Association's president Muniratna Naidu's statements after issuing the ban on Nikita reflect linguistic and regional biases. She is from Mumbai. It will be a lesson for others, he said. Also, financial interests are not at stake because she has now only one project opposite Darshan. On hearing that she had been banned, Nikita has taken ill.

Darshan's bail plea dismissed

K annada under judicial actor Darshan custody , for allegedly assaulting and threatening to kill his wife, has not been granted bail. "The bail application filed by Darshan has been hereby dismissed," Venkatesh Ulagi, first additional chief metropolitan magistrate, read out the verdict to a packed courtroom on Tuesday.