New Delhi:
Top Bollywood filmmakers have filed a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court against “irresponsible reporting by certain media outlets” in the latest branch of the Sushant Singh Rajput investigation. Some of the biggest names in the film industry, including Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra and Farhan Akhtar, are part of the unprecedented legal action against two channels: Republic TV and Times Now.
The lawsuit has been filed against Republic TV and the channel’s Arnab Goswami and Pradeep Bhandari; and Times Now and its top face Rahul Shivshankar and Navika Kumar.
The case calls for the channels, as well as the social media platforms, “to refrain from making or posting irresponsible, derogatory and defamatory comments against Bollywood and its members.” It also asks that they be prevented from conducting media trials of film personalities and infringing on their privacy.
While the producers are not calling for a widespread media gag on the Sushant Singh Rajput investigation, they want a “perpetual and binding court order to carry out reporting and publication of material that violates applicable laws.”
The filmmakers have demanded that the channels comply with the 1994 programming code and “remove, recall and remove all defamatory content posted by them against Bollywood.”
The channels used “words and expressions highly derogatory to Bollywood,” a statement said. Those listed are: “dirt”, “filth”, “scum”, “drug addicts” and expressions like “is Bollywood where you have to clean the dirt”, “all the perfumes of Arabia cannot remove the stench and stench of this filth and Bollywood belly scum, “” this is the dirtiest industry in the country, “and” Bollywood drenched in cocaine and LSD. “
The filmmakers say that Bollywood is a distinct and well-recognized class that understands the Hindi film industry in Mumbai. It is a huge source of revenue for the public purse, generating significant foreign exchange for India through the proceeds of foreign movie premieres, tourism, etc. and it is a great source of employment.
The film industry relies almost exclusively on the goodwill, appreciation and acceptance of its audience, the suit says. “The livelihoods of those associated with Bollywood are severely affected by the smear campaign carried out by the defendants. This is in addition to the ongoing pandemic that has resulted in extreme loss of income and job opportunities. Members’ privacy of Bollywood is being invaded, and its reputation is being irreparably damaged by painting all of Bollywood as criminals infiltrated in drug culture and making being part of Bollywood synonymous with criminal acts in the public imagination, “said the producers.
Those who have brought the case include the Producers Guild of India, the Cine and TV Artiste Association, Ad-Labs Films, Ajay Devgn Fflims, Anil Kapoor Film and Communication Network, Arbaaz Khan Productions, Ashutosh Gowarikaer Productions, Excel Entertainment, Kabir Khan Films , Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Pictures, Reliance Big Entertainment, Rohit Shetty Pictures, Roy Kapur Productions, Vinod Chopra Films and Vishal Bhardwaj Films.
This was not the first time legal action has been taken against these outlets, the producers said. They had also been previously reprimanded and sanctioned and found guilty of spreading defamatory, baseless and incorrect news. They noted that the channels “went into a frenzy suggesting that the CBI would begin making arrests” after the agency took over investigations of Sushant Singh Rajput.
“These defendants are conducting and publishing parallel private ‘investigations’ and effectively acting as ‘courts’ to convict Bollywood-related individuals as guilty on the basis of what they claim to be ‘evidence’ found by them, attempting to mock the criminal justice system, “Bollywood said.
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