Chennai: Veteran actor Kamal Haasan today voiced concern over the prevalence of usury, saying it affected various sections including farmers and the cinema industry. The actor was responding to the alleged suicide of a Tamil film producer, who had accused a Madurai-based financier of pushing him to take the extreme step by charging exorbitant interest rates on loans obtained by him and harassing him over the same.   

"Law and the cinema industry should end the atrocities of usury which affects those ranging from farmers to cinema professionals believed to be rich," the 63-year-old actor said in a tweet.  Such an "untimely death" of Ashok Kumar should not recur, the 'Viswaroopam' star said and expressed his sympathies with the family of the victim.   

Kumar was found hanging at his house here yesterday, with a suicide note recovered from the spot blaming the film financer for pushing him to take the extreme step, police had said. The Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) had expressed grief over Kumar's alleged suicide. TFPC President and actor Vishal also gave an assurance that solutions will be provided if producers affected by 'usury' approached the TFPC for redressal.   

A man and his wife had set themselves and their two kids afire at the Tirunelveli Collectorate complex allegedly due to harassment by a moneylender in that district last month.   While the woman and her two children died on the day of the incident, the man succumbed to injuries later.