Sanchita
Looks like Bollywood has had enough of the allegations being hurled at it, and has finally decided to strike back with the legal route against channels!
A lawsuit has now been filed against Republic TV, Arnab Goswami & Pradeep Bhandari; & Times Now & its anchors Rahul Shivshankar and Navika Kumar!
4 Bollywood industry Associations and 34 leading Bollywood producers have moved Delhi High Court seeking to curb the irresponsible, derogatory and defamatory remarks being made against the film industry.
The Biggest names in Bollywood have united for the cause; production houses of Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar, Aditya Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar and all other major banners are plaintiffs in the suit. The Film & Television Producers Guild of India (PGI) and Cine & TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) have also joined the suit.
These news channels are accused of using derogatory words such as “dirt”, “filth”, “scum”, “druggies” for Bollywood. The producers also complained about their usage of expressions such as “all the perfumes of Arabia cannot take away the stench and the stink of this filth and scum of the underbelly of Bollywood”, “It is Bollywood where the dirt needs to be cleaned”, “This is the dirtiest industry in the country”; and “Cocaine and LSD-drenched Bollywood”.
As per NDTV report, the lawsuit stated that the channels as well as social media platforms must “refrain from making or publishing irresponsible, derogatory and defamatory remarks against Bollywood and its members”. They also want the channels to stop media trials and infringing upon the privacy of the film industry members.
While the producers don’t seek a blanket media gag in the Sushant Singh Rajput investigation, they want the court to stop reportage that violates the law. They want the channels to “withdraw, recall and take down all the defamatory content published by them against Bollywood”.
The filmmakers pointed out that Bollywood is a “distinct and well-recognised class”, and a huge source of revenue, foreign exchange and employment. The smear campaign by these news channels is severely affecting the livelihood in Bollywood, which is already suffering from revenue and work loss due to the ongoing pandemic.
“The privacy of the members of Bollywood is being invaded, and their reputations are being irreparably damaged by painting the entire Bollywood as criminals seeped in drug culture and making being part of Bollywood as synonymous with criminal acts in the public imagination,” the producers said.
The Bollywood lawsuit against Republic and Times Now also pointed out that these media houses had been penalized earlier too, being guilty of defamatory, unsubstantiated and incorrect news.
“These defendants are conducting and publishing parallel private ‘investigations’ and effectively acting as ‘courts’ to condemn persons connected with Bollywood as guilty based on what they claim is ‘evidence’ found by them, thereby trying to make a mockery of the criminal justice system,“ said Bollywood.
CHECK OUT THE FULL LIST OF BOLLYWOOD PLAINTIFFS:
1. The Film &Television Producers Guild of India (PGI)
2.The Cine & TV Artiste? Association (CINTAA)
3. Indian Film and TV Producers Council (IFTPC)
4. Screenwriters Association (SWA)
5. Aamir Khan Productions
6. Ad-Labs Films
7. Ajay Devgn Flims
8. Andolan Films
9. Anil Kapoor Film and Communication Network
10. Arbaaz Khan Productions
11. Ashutosh Gowariker Productions
12. BSK Network and Entertainment
13. Cape of Good Films
14. Clean Slate Filmz
15. Dharma Productions
16. Emmay Entertainment & Motion Pictures
17. Excel Entertainment
18. Filmkraft Productions
19. Hope Production
20. Kabir Khan Films
21. Luv Films
22. Macguffin Pictures
23. Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment
24. One India Stories
25. R.S. Entertainment (Ramesh Sippy Entertainment)
26. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Pictures
27. Red Chillies Entertainment
28. Reel Life Productions
29. Reliance Big Entertainment
30. Rohit Shetty Picturez
31. Roy Kapur Films
32. Salman Khan Films
33. Sikhya Entertainment
34. Sohail Khan Productions
35. Tiger Baby Digital
36. Vinod Chopra Films
37. Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures
38. Yashraj Films
Meanwhile, Republic TV is also currently embroiled in a fake TRPs controversy. Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had claimed that Republic TV and two other Marathi channels had manipulated TRPs.
