Prithviraj apologises to UAE’s Ahalia Hospital after gaffe
Actor claims he didn’t know fictional hospital in ‘Driver’s Licence’ really existed
Malayalam superstar Prithviraj has apologised to the Abu Dhabi-based Ahalia Hospital group for tarnishing its reputation unknowingly in his recent film ‘Driving Licence’.
His apology on his social media account stemmed from the hospital group holding a press conference in Kochi, Kerala, to draw attention to how he defamed their hospital chain in his comedy.
According to reports, a lawsuit was also filed against the makers of ‘Driving Licence’ including its actor-producer Prithviraj and director Jean Paul Lal. Prithviraj had reportedly apologised during its hearing at the high court.
His minute-long video on Facebook showed him suitably contrite.
“In one of the scenes in my movie I made an unkind reference to Ahalia Hospital without realising that there’s an actual hospital operating in India and abroad, doing good work for several years. The Ahalia Hospital shown in that film is totally fictitious and has no bearing to the real medical service provider. I apologise to its owners, staff, doctors and patients for causing them pain,” said Prithviraj in a video message posted on Facebook.
The film also stars Suraj Venjaramoodu.
‘Driving Licence’ is a tale of a popular actor Hareendran (Prithviraj) trying to secure a driving permit swiftly and how he manages to tick off a diehard fan and vehicle inspector, played by Venjaramoodu. This is his second home production and is one of the last Malayalam films to have released in 2019.
Gulf News tabloid! reached out to Ahalia Hospital Group and they declined to comment.