Nayanthara sees 'conspiracy' in her removal as T20 brand ambassador

Apr 26, 2008 PVS

Actress Nayanthara, who has been removed as the brand ambassador for the Chennai Super Kings team which plays in the ongoing DLF-Indian Premier League T20 matches, sees 'conspiracy' in her removal. Actor Vijay is the other brand ambassador for this team.

Reacting to her sudden removal , she declined to say who the 'conspirators' were, but she asserted that she would hit back, according to a press report.

She is away in Hyderabad shooting for Rajini-starrer "Kuselan".

The first match between the Chennai Super Kings team and the Mumbai Indians was held last Wednesday (April 23) when Vijay was present throughout to cheer the Chennai team, but Nayanthara was conspicuous by her absence.

Citing her absence as the reason, Nayanthara has been removed as brand ambassador.

According to the actress, she was taken ill and hospitalized on April 22 and resumed the shooting only on April 24 in Hyderabad.

She recounted that when she had told the organizers that she would not be available during April-May, they said there would be six matches and urged her to come for at least three of them. She had agreed. Later, one day they had suddenly informed her that there was a press meet. She could not attend it. Had they informed her two days in advance, she would have reworked her schedules and attended the programme. She did attend the 'star launch' function. After she had made all arrangements to travel to Chennai to attend the first match on April 23, she had been taken ill and had to be hospitalized. She had proper medical documents to prove this. She had informed the organizers about her hospitalization and inability to come to Chennai. There were still five matches to be played and she would have come for three of them as the organizers had suggested. When she stood to gain so much mileage how could she have missed the occasion?

"I was shocked to read the paper about the removal," Nayanthara is reported to have told an English newspaper published from Chennai.

"It's unethical for a corporate house (India Cements, the owners of Chennai Super Kings) to make such a statement without having the basic courtesy to inform me of the decision. What hurt me most was the unprofessional way in which the issue was handled. Before going to the press with their decision, they should have checked with me. Enough damage has been done to spoil my image," she said.