vetrimaran official twitter

Vetrimaaran

IMDbPro Starmeter See rank

• Contact info
• 20 wins & 10 nominations

• Writer (as Vetri Maaran)

• In Production
• Post-production
• Pre-production

• producer (as Vetri Maaran)

• screenplay (as Vetri Maaran)

• original story (as Vetri Maaran)

• Director (as Vetri Maaran)
• In-development projects at IMDbPro

Personal details

• Vetri Maaran
• September 4 , 1975
• Cuddalore, Tamilnadu, India
• Poonthendral
• Parents V Chitravel

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

How much have you seen?

Recently viewed

Subscribe Now! Get features like

• Latest News
• Entertainment
• Real Estate
• RCB Unbox 2024 LIVE
• Lok Sabha Election Schedule 2024
• IPL 2024 Schedule
• Bihar Board Results
• The Interview
• Web Stories
• IPL Points Table
• IPL Purple Cap
• IPL Orange Cap
• Mumbai News
• Bengaluru News
• Daily Digest

Why Vetrimaaran is the most interesting director in Tamil films today

Vetrimaaran is arguably among the most interesting filmmaker working in the tamil film industry. here’s documenting his rise and what it takes to be a talent like him..

His production house’s name, Grass Root Film Company, is a clear pointer to Vetrimaaran’s worldview. This Deepavali’s biggest release in Tamil Nadu is, arguably, Kodi (Flag), a political thriller he has produced that stars Dhanush in his first double role, as twin brothers. The twins may be identical but their natures are mutually exclusive. Refreshingly, Kodi casts Trisha as a feisty woman politico, giving Dhanush’s eponymous hero a run for his money.

“For a hero movie, it’s pretty decently written,” pronounces Baradwaj Rangan, film critic and associate editor at The Hindu. “There’s a conflict, there are surprises and even within a commercial film, it’s properly written and directed. It’s not some random moments strung together to get people whistling.”

The film’s premise is how politics and political interests shape communities and the quality of their life. In this case, it involves skullduggery surrounding a factory emitting toxic effluents. It could be happening not too far away from our backyards.

At the Oscars

Vetrimaaran himself, however, was conspicuous by his absence during Kodi’s promos. He has a bigger task on hand. Visaaranai (Interrogation), the part-docudrama, part-crime thriller he directed, is India’s official entry to the 89th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. So he is in the US persuading jurors take note of his film, which has some truly hairy torture scenes. The last Tamil film that made it to the Oscars was 16 years back: Hey Ram starring Kamal Haasan.

Usually, the choice of any film to represent the country at the Oscars polarises critics, but Visaaranai remains largely unchallenged. Rangan agrees. “Visaaranai was a fantastic film.”

It tells the story of innocent migrant labourers picked up and tortured by the police to extract a false confession for a fatal robbery at an influential man’s house. How the film, shot in 42 days on a Rs 2-crore budget and eventually wining three National Film Awards, got made is interesting. After his Aadukalam in 2011, Vetrimaaran had busied himself with his production ventures, Udhayam NH4, Poriyaalan and Kaaka Muttai. When he was prepared to shoot his next, the script he picked was Soodhadi, a story on gambling, proposing Dhanush in the lead role. However, the actor had to take time off to work in Balki’s Shamitabh, being shot in Mumbai.

Vetrimaaran was mooting a book adaptation when director Balu Mahendra’s assistant serendipitously presented him with Lock Up, a riveting, partly autobiographical book written by M Chandrakumar, a former autorickshaw driver. The book, which took five years to write and another four to publish, narrates his harrowing experience while in jail in (then) Andhra Pradesh.

“When I pitched the story to Dhanush, who later produced the film, I said I can only guarantee you a three-day weekend run at the box office. But it’s a low-budget venture; you’ll get your investment back,” Vetrimaaran laughs. “Dhanush was amused, but agreed to fund the project. [I thought] it’s the kind of film that would not bring in repeat audiences. I was proved wrong and it got a good three-week run.”

The author, Chandrakumar, was incarcerated for a fortnight way back in 1983. “Yet his experiences are relevant even today,” points out Vetrimaaran. “Visaaranai reflects a stark reality from which you cannot shut yourself out: that is its success. It was challenging to find the right kind of actors and locations. We employed real stuntmen who could exercise restraint while beating up the actors.”

“What was unique was that there were a lot of first-time actors in the film; that added rawness to it,” says K Hariharan, filmmaker and critic. “Actors like Samuthirakkani and Kishore were entirely on the sidelines. That made it an interesting watch.”

Astutely, the team decided to send it to international film fests right away, confident it would work with foreign audiences. Visaaranai premiered at the Orrizonti section of the 72nd Venice Film Festival, a first for a Tamil film, and won the Amnesty International Italia Award. Crucially, the European audience was exposed to a hitherto unexplored form of Tamil cinema that dealt with grim reality in a non-dramatic but powerful way.

“Europeans have a different policing system. They found my narrative a bit harsh, though they were moved,” explains Vetrimaaran.

A rooted voice

It is Vetrimaaran’s preoccupation with sometimes gritty, sometimes heartwarming reality that makes this 41-year-old one of the best filmmakers of our times.

“The best thing about the regional filmmakers is that they bring in a very ‘native’ feel,” says Rangan. “Like if I watch Nagraj Manjule’s Sairat for instance, I find [elements] that remind me of Vetrimaaran. But that’s more because these filmmakers do these ‘rooted’ things very well. They give you the sense of the atmosphere, the rhythms of life in that particular environment, they take care to bring them alive.”

His critically acclaimed debut venture, Polladhavan (Ruthless Man) in 2007, followed a lower middle-class young man’s search for his stolen bike, an exercise that takes him through the seamy underworld. Four years later came Aadukalam (Arena), a Pongal release that raked in six National Film Awards. The cockfight arena was where love, ego, honour, friendship and betrayal were played out in the rustic backdrop of Madurai.

Says Manimaran, long-time friend and assistant, “Vetri used to like watching cockfights in the neighbourhood in our hometown. So he thought we could develop a story around them.”

There was no doubt about who would play the lead. “I wrote Aadukalam keeping Dhanush in mind,” says Vetrimaaran. “As an actor, he delivers exactly what I need and sometimes more. As a producer, he offers me complete freedom and does not interfere at all. He trusts me completely.”

Rangan explains the Vetrimaaran touch, “There is a world of difference in the way he uses the song and dance elements in Polladhavan and Aadukalam. They have become more organic and rooted; they’re not fantasy elements.”

“I personally prefer Aadukalam to Visaaranai, but it’s like comparing apples and oranges,” says Hariharan. “Aadukalam had a certain kind of warmth and spontaneity. Visaaranai, to me, looked rather staged.”

He explains, “Visaaranai’s [appeal across the world] is that for the first time in Tamil cinema, you see this kind of brute reality without the director taking recourse to a love story or family drama. It’s also interesting that a country like India allowed such a strongly critical film on the system. There’s no doubt that Vetrimaaran is a bold filmmaker.”

Vetrimaaran’s productive chemistry with Dhanush has paid rich dividends. The two went on to produce Kaaka Muttai (Crow’s Egg) in 2015, a subversive film poking fun at what is regarded as cool - pizzas, in this case. This little gem, premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, tracks two brothers from a Chennai slum dying to taste a pizza. Directed by M Manikandan with wit, not once is the children’s dignity compromised. Their family struggles in a heartless and corrupt city and soon we find ourselves cheering for our little heroes. Kaaka Muttai pocketed two National Film Awards.

“There is a stamp of quality that people have begun to associate with Vetrimaaran, because even the films he produces are pretty decent,” says Rangan, adding that he looks for, and gets, that certain quality.

Vetrimaaran’s genius lies in shining a light on people we would not even glance at in our rat race. His films show us that ordinary people often lead extraordinary lives if only we stop to talk to them.

Smitten by cinema

Born in Cuddalore near Puducherry and raised in Ranipet, a suburban town in Vellore district, two and a half hours from Chennai, Vetrimaaran was smitten by cinema even as a child. His mother, a writer, ran a school in the area, while his father was a veterinarian. Friends remember him as a film buff who watched every movie that came to town.

“He would bunk classes and watch them, each three or four times. Then he would come to the school ground where we used to hang out until 7:30 in the evening and would retell the whole story to us. My friends and I have actually walked out of the theatre at times because the film was nowhere as good as his narration. He still has that quality,” says Manimaran, his assistant.

Vetrimaaran was in his second year of Masters in English Literature in 1999 when the now-deceased filmmaker Balu Mahendra was invited to judge a short film contest at the Loyola College, Chennai. Shortly afterwards, he attended a seminar conducted by the director and was inspired enough to assist him in Julie Ganapathy, Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam and the television series Kadhai Neram.

Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam cemented his friendship with the lead actor, Dhanush, whom he describes as his best friend. While still assisting Balu Mahendra, Vetrimaaran pitched the story of Desiya Nedunchalai, and the actor readily agreed to play the lead.

Recalls Manimaran, “Producers were not hard to come by because we had Dhanush. But a few had misgivings about how Vetri would handle the project as a newcomer. So we tossed aside that script, which I later made into Udhayam NH4.”

The initial years proved to be rough. “I was pitching different scripts to different people for three years and it was the sixth producer who okayed Polladhavan,” says Vetrimaaran on his directorial debut.

Adds Manimaran, who assisted him in the project, “After the film was edited, we were really scared to show it to the producer. We kept stalling the screening telling him it may not have come out as he expected. Finally, when he saw it, he was satisfied. We were relieved and gradually grew confident.”

Pushing for excellence

When Manimaran himself forayed into direction with Udhayam NH4 in 2013, Vetrimaaran returned the favour by stepping in as producer under his banner, Grass Root Film Company. As he puts it, “I want my production house to be a platform for good, interesting ideas. I can find a producer for my films, but others, who may be first-time filmmakers, might have innovative scripts that mainstream producers might not understand. Like Kaaka Muttai for instance.

“I produce films in partnership as I may not be able to afford the entire budget. Dhanush ends up co-producing some of them as our tastes are similar. None of my producers ever ask me for the budget. I always make sure it is within their means and I can give the desired returns.”

For someone who has been successful both commercially as critically, Vetrimaaran has directed only three films in nine years. “For me, every film is a learning process. After each, I take time to unlearn. Then I find new content, learn it completely and then execute it.”

Manimaran describes his working process thus, “Many directors make changes to the script on the spot. But Vetrimaaran is different because he pays attention to detail. He puts in a lot of effort, so there may be last-minute adjustments with lighting and locations. Unlike working with other directors, you need to be available 24 hours.”

Outside of work, the father of two, who met his wife Aarthi while at college, likes to race pigeons, pretty much like the characters he portrays. His rootedness has also led him to voice the germ of an idea: setting up an organic farm eventually.

Rangan describes grit as the definitive quality of Vetrimaaran’s films, and praises his skill in animating the atmosphere in terms of the integrity of the characters, the plot, and the texture. “The way he shapes the characters and writes them, you feel that these are not [just] individual people; you get a sense of where they come from, where they belong. [They’re] not just some random characters floating around.”

His fans are already talking about his fourth film, Vada Chennai (North Chennai), an ambitious gangster trilogy he has been planning since 2003. After undergoing several changes of scripts and stars, Dhanush, Vijay Sethupathi, Amala Paul and Samuthirakkani are among those confirmed on the project that is currently under way. Slated for release next year, Vada Chennai is also bound to have the by-now classic Vetrimaaran stamp.

(Published in arrangement with GRIST Media.)

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like.

• Terms of use
• Privacy policy
• Weather Today
• HT Newsletters
• Subscription
• Print Ad Rates
• Code of Ethics

• Elections 2024
• India vs England
• T20 World Cup 2024 Schedule
• IPL 2024 Auctions
• T20 World Cup 2024
• Cricket Players
• ICC Rankings
• Cricket Schedule
• Other Cities
• Income Tax Calculator
• Budget 2024
• Petrol Prices
• Diesel Prices
• Silver Rate
• Relationships
• Art and Culture
• Telugu Cinema
• Tamil Cinema
• Exam Results
• Competitive Exams
• Board Exams
• BBA Colleges
• Engineering Colleges
• Medical Colleges
• BCA Colleges
• Medical Exams
• Engineering Exams
• Horoscope 2024
• Festive Calendar 2024
• Compatibility Calculator
• The Economist Articles
• Explainer Video
• On The Record
• Vikram Chandra Daily Wrap
• EPL 2023-24
• ISL 2023-24
• Asian Games 2023
• Public Health
• Economic Policy
• International Affairs
• Climate Change
• Gender Equality
• future tech
• Daily Sudoku
• Daily Crossword
• Daily Word Jumble
• HT Friday Finance
• Explore Hindustan Times
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Subscription - Terms of Use

Updated IST

• Click on the Menu icon of the browser, it opens up a list of options.
• Click on the “Options ”, it opens up the settings page,
• Here click on the “Privacy & Security” options listed on the left hand side of the page.
• Scroll down the page to the “Permission” section .
• Here click on the “Settings” tab of the Notification option.
• A pop up will open with all listed sites, select the option “ALLOW“, for the respective site under the status head to allow the notification.
• Once the changes is done, click on the “Save Changes” option to save the changes.

• Top Listing
• Upcoming Movies

AK 64: Ajith & Vetrimaaran Again Under Mythri Movie Makers? Fans Say, 'Marana Combo; Known For Project Delays'

Ajith Kumar, fondly called Thala Ajith by his fans is busy with his upcoming film titled Vidaa Muyarchi, under the direction of Magizh Thirumeni. Trisha is the film's leading lady, marking her sixth collaboration with the star actor after Yennai Arindhaal.

Meanwhile, there is a new and interesting buzz about Ajith's upcoming films including AK 63 and AK 64. While it was already mentioned that Tollywood's star film producers Naveen Yerneni and Y Ravi Shankar of Mythri Movie Makers are joining hands with the actor, the latest buzz is that Ajith will sign a project with Vetrimaaran, the impeccable director.

AK 64 By Vetrimaaran? The new gossip around AK 64 is that producer-writer-director Vetrimaaran will collaborate with Ajith Kumar for the first time with a unique script. This could be the one that will be produced by Mythri Movie Makers.

In the wake of this news, fans have started reacting to the update. While one wrote, "Marana Combo AK ku puccava set agura director Vetrimaran.,' the other one wrote, 'Made for each other when it comes to delaying a project, (sic)." Another fan commented asking for an update on Vida Muyarchi saying, "Ellam directors name um varuthu edha namburanu theriyala1st #VidaaMuyarchi update eh viduga da, (sic)." Check out the tweet below.

Vidaa Muyarchi is being funded by Lyca Productions by Subaskaran Allirajah, and Anirudh Ravichander is the film's music composer. Ajith will be playing a dual role in the film. Regina Cassandra is the second female lead in this film which also stars Sanjay Dutt and Aarav Nafeez.

In addition, Ajith is also rumoured to have signed a film with Mark Antony director Adhik Ravichandran, referred to as AK 63. Adhik is Ajith's fan and had also acted in a negative shade character in 'Nerkonda Paarvai.' This project will likely be bankrolled by Elred Kumar. The official announcement is awaited.

According to VP, - #Ajithkumar & #Vetrimaaran to team up together for a movie (Likely #AK64 )😳🔥 - VetriMaaran has narrated a subject to AK📝 - Produced by ElredKumar (RSInfotainment) who is currently producing Viduthalai & AK63 was supposed to be produced by him (But it moved… pic.twitter.com/OoMPpFEpS1 — AmuthaBharathi (@CinemaWithAB) November 30, 2023

Om Bheem Bush Full Movie Leaked Online In HD For Free Download Hours After Hyped Theatrical Release

Om Bheem Bush OTT Release Date: When & Where To Watch Sree Vishnu, Priyadarshi & R Ramakrishna's Comedy Drama

Elvish Yadav Controversy: OLD VIDEO Of BB OTT 2 Winner Saying ‘MD, Snake Bite… Kya Chahiye’ Resurfaces

Advertisement

• Don't Block
• Block for 8 hours
• Block for 12 hours
• Block for 24 hours
• Dont send alerts during 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am to 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am

• entertainment
• Vetrimaaran's 'Viduthalai' trailer and audio launch to be held on March 8

Vetrimaaran's 'Viduthalai' trailer and audio launch to be held on March 8

Visual Stories

MORE FROM E TIMES

Popular categories, trending in entertainment, trending in etimes, trending in tv, trending in lifestyle, trending in regional, movie reviews, upcoming hindi movies, upcoming regional movies, latest news, other group sites -.

• Photo Gallery
• Beauty Pageants

Follow us on

• Today’s Paper
• Join WhatsApp Channel
• Movie Reviews
• Tamil Cinema
• Telugu Cinema

Visaranai is India’s official Oscar entry: 10 facts you must know

Tamil film visaranai is india's official entry to oscars 2017. as dhanush and producer vetrimaran express happiness, we bring you 10 lesser-known facts about visaranai..

It was a proud moment for Tamil film industry as hard-hitting and thought provoking film Visaranai was on Thursday announced as India’s official entry to the 2017 Academy Awards. It was selected by the jury at the Film Federation of India from the 29 other films, which were in the race to represent India at the Oscars.

The film is based on real-life incidents involving four young immigrants who fall prey to corruption, custodial violence and their unspeakable sufferings at the hands of the police officers.

“We selected ‘Visaranai’ on the basis of concept, treatment and technique. There were other good films like ‘Sairat’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Sultan’, ‘Fan’, ‘Airlift’ and ‘Udta Punjab’. There was a Bengali film also in the race. The decision was unanimous,” filmmaker Ketan Mehta, chairman of the selection committee of Film Federation of India, said. “Proud moment for Wunderbar Films and Vetrimaran. #Dreambig,” he wrote on Twitter.

Read:  Dhanush overjoyed at Visaranai becoming India’s Oscar entry

The National award-winning actor said it was a “glorious day” for him since his latest film “Thodari”, which released today, was receiving ‘super positive initial reports.’ “My sincere thanks to all those who believed in me and my production house. I would like to thank the fantastic cast of the film– Dinesh, Samuthrakani and Kishore.”

He also thanked the Executive Producer of Wunderbar Films, S Vinod, the crew, press, media, well-wishers and cinema lovers and all those who “watch movies in theatres. It is a joyous moment for all of us,” he added.

Here are the facts that you must know about Visaranai:

1. Visaranai is the based on the novel written by an auto-rickshaw driver, M Chandrakumar, popularly known as Auto Chandran. He wrote the book based on the police brutality and corruption that he suffered in his early life.

2. In 1983, Chandran was locked up along with his three friends in Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, where they were subjected to brutal police treatment to accept a crime that they never even committed.

3. However, Chandran survived to tell the tale. Decades later, based on the advice of his friend, he wrote the novel, which was adopted for the big screen by National Award-winning filmmaker Vetrimaran.

4. Actor Dhanush may have played the lead character in the film, if he wasn’t busy with his Bollywood project at that point in time. However, Dhanush still decided to be part of the film. He gave his consent to Vetrimaran to produce the film under his home banner Wunderbar Productions even before fully hearing the story.

Also read:  India’s official entry to Oscars is Tamil film Visaranai

5. Sending Visaranai to international circuits had been the main aim of its makers, even though they knew that it ran the risk of film getting pirated and affecting its prospects at the box office when it would release in theatres back home.

6. Some changes were made to the theatrical version of Visaranai, including a few dialogues were muted to suit the sensibilities of Indian audience. The theatrical version also has music, while its international version didn’t.

7. Vetrimaaran and team wanted to screen the film at one of the four major festivals including Venice, Cannes, Toronto and Berlin. And they accomplished so much more than they aimed at.

8. In the 72 year history of the Venice International Film Festival, Visaranai became the first Tamil movie to premiere in the competition segment. Besides receiving a standing ovation, the film also bagged ‘Cinema for Human Rights’ award at the event.

9. Back home, Visaranai released to rave reviews from the critics, celebrities and fans alike and also saw a moderate success at the box office. Its investors also made money through selling its satellite rights.

10. The film also won three prestigious National Awards, including best Tamil feature film and the award for best editing went to Kishore Te, while the best supporting actor went to Samuthirakani. It has also won the Amnesty International Italia Award 2015.

With Kejriwal's arrest, one more step towards Oppn-mukt elections Subscriber Only

How Delhi was destroyed and rebuilt after the revolt of Subscriber Only

World Inequality Lab report fails to capture India's economic reality Subscriber Only

UPSC Key—27th March, 2024: Income Inequality, South China Sea dispute Subscriber Only

What’s in a name? For Tangail weavers, a history of Subscriber Only

Kejriwal's arrest: Has BJP over-reached or is it a decisive Subscriber Only

No Kuki candidates so far for ST-reserved Outer Manipur seat Subscriber Only

Is Indian democracy dead? Subscriber Only

What Pakistan thinks of India’s democracy index

UPSC Special: The Ultimate Package for Competitive Exam Preparation Sign In to read

Away from the national capital’s courtroom where the case against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is playing out , two key figures embroiled in the excise policy case – four-time MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy and his son Raghava Magunta Reddy – are busy campaigning for BJP ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP)

More Entertainment

Best of Express

Mar 29: Latest News

• 01 You’re incompetent to the core: HC slams MCD over delayed employee dues
• 02 Will act against those intimidating others: Ashoka University warns protesting students
• 03 Reliance Industries buys 26% stake in Adani Power’s unit
• 04 Child panel issues transport safety guidelines for all schools
• 05 Congress complains against state BJP chief for alleged MCC violation
• Elections 2024
• Political Pulse
• Entertainment
• Movie Review
• Newsletters
• Gold Rate Today
• Silver Rate Today
• Petrol Rate Today
• Diesel Rate Today
• Web Stories
• Lok Sabha Polls
• Premium Stories
• Express Shorts
• Health & Wellness
• Board Exam Results

Kari Lake declines to defend her statements in defamation suit filed by Arizona election official

Kari Lake , a prominent election denier running for a Senate seat in Arizona, has decided not to contest her liability in a defamation suit brought by a Republican election official in Maricopa County.

Stephen Richer, who presided over the county’s 2022 election,  filed a defamation claim against Lake in June alleging that she “repeatedly and falsely accused" him of causing her electoral defeat in the race for governor won by Democrat Katie Hobbs.

Lake ’s legal team on Tuesday filed a default judgment motion that indicated she was not challenging her culpability. She instead seeks to dispute the damages.

She also said Richer should have to turn over relevant medical and psychiatric records to show that his health was negatively affected, as he detailed in his lawsuit. Lake requested a jury for the default judgment hearing.

Lake, a staunch Trump ally, has repeatedly pushed the lie that she won her 2022 bid for governor, and in doing so she took aim at Richer.

The lawsuit alleged that "Richer and his family have been the target of threats of violence, and even death, and have had their lives turned upside down" because of Lake's "knowing and malicious falsehoods."

The lawsuit pointed to a series of Lake's election denialism claims, among them that she falsely claimed that Richer had misprinted ballots “so that the tabulators would jam all day long.” In another instance, her campaign’s Twitter account claimed that Richer “sabotaged” Election Day.

Dozens of vote tabulation machines malfunctioned during Arizona's 2022 election and would not accept ballots to read, which some conservatives falsely pointed to in espousing conspiracy theories. The root cause was ultimately traced to changes in ballot paper.

Lake railed against Richer's lawsuit Tuesday in a video statement on X.

"By participating in this lawsuit, it would only serve to legitimize this perversion of our legal system and allow bad actors to interfere in our upcoming election," she said. "So I won't be taking part."

Richer replied to her on X by saying means "she has conceded she has no evidence (truth is 100% quick defense to defamation), she has surrendered first amendment claims, and she has stopped fighting."

"But I’m happy to start investigation on damages," he added. "Reminder that she says this case looks a lot like Rudy’s and Trump’s — I’m fine with those final dollar figures."

Longtime Trump ally Rudy G iuliani was ordered to pay $148 million last year in a defamation case over false claims he made about two former election workers in Georgia. Giuliani had previously chosen not to contest the claim.

In a statement on Tuesday , Richer said, “I have said from the beginning that no one is above the rule of law and today further validates that belief. I look forward to entering the damages phase of this case.”   

An attorney for Lake did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday night.

Vaughn Hillyard is a correspondent for NBC News. 

Alex Tabet is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

Megan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Top Chinese official says green, high tech development key as nation seeks to spur economy

50 years after battling for a championship, State hopes to continue unforeseen ride against Marquette

Duke trying to knock off higher seeded team for first time since 1994 against houston, unc looks to stop tide's high-octane offense from rolling in sweet 16 clash, lamelo ball to miss remainder of 2023-24 season with ankle injury, home is where the basketball is for chapel hill native and alabama forward jarin stevenson.

WRAL Late News

WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast

Daytime Pick 3 and Pick 4 Drawing

Evening Pick 3 Pick 4 and Cash 5

Powerball Drawing

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.