Delhi HC to hear plea by film producers against 'irresponsible' reporting by select media houses on November 9

The lawsuit was filed by four Bollywood industry associations and 34 leading producers on October 12.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court will hear on Monday a plea by leading Bollywood producers seeking to restrain a few media houses from making or publishing allegedly "irresponsible, derogatory and defamatory remarks" against the film industry and conducting media trials against its members on various issues.

The lawsuit by four Bollywood industry associations and 34 leading producers, which was filed on October 12, will come up for hearing before Justice Rajiv Shakdher.

It has also sought to restrain them from interfering with the right to privacy of persons associated with the industry.

The suit filed through DSK Legal firm said, "This comes in the wake of these channels using highly derogatory words and expressions for Bollywood such as 'dirt', 'filth', 'scum', 'druggies' and expressions such as 'it is Bollywood where the dirt needs to be cleaned', 'all the perfumes of Arabia cannot take away the stench and the stink of this filth and scum of the underbelly of Bollywood', 'This is the dirtiest industry in the country', and 'cocaine and LSD drenched Bollywood'."

Those who have filed the suit are The Film and Television Producers Guild Of India (PGI), The Cine and TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA), Indian Film and TV Producers Council (IFTPC), Screenwriters Association (SWA), Aamir Khan Productions, Ad-Labs Films, Ajay Devgn Films, Andolan Films, Anil Kapoor Film and Communication Network, Arbaaz Khan Productions, Ashutosh Gowariker Productions, BSK Network and Entertainment, Cape of Good Films, Clean Slate Filmz and Dharma Productions.

The list includes Emmay Entertainment and Motion Pictures, Excel Entertainment, Filmkraft Productions, Hope Production, Kabir Khan Films, Luv Films, Macguffin Pictures, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, One India Stories, R.S. Entertainment (Ramesh Sippy Entertainment), Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Pictures, Red Chillies Entertainment, Reel Life Productions, Reliance Big Entertainment, Rohit Shetty Picturez.

The other plaintiffs are Roy Kapur Films, Salman Khan Films, Sikhya Entertainment, Sohail Khan Productions, Tiger Baby Digital, Vinod Chopra Films, Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures and Yashraj Films.

In the plea, the producers have sought that the defendants (media persons) shall abide by provisions of the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks Rules and to withdraw, recall and take down all the defamatory content published by them against the film industry.

It said Bollywood is a distinct and well recognised class, comprising the Hindi film industry in Mumbai and for several years, it has been a huge source of revenue for the public exchequer, earns significant foreign exchange for India by way of revenue from overseas releases of films and tourism.

It said the industry is a big source of employment, with various other industries also being largely dependent on it.

"Bollywood is unique and stands on a different footing from any other industry inasmuch as it is an industry that is dependent almost solely on goodwill, appreciation and acceptance of its audience. The livelihood of persons associated with Bollywood is being severely impacted by the smear campaign being run by the defendants," the plea submitted, adding that this is in addition to the ongoing pandemic which has resulted in extreme revenues and work opportunity loss.

It claimed that the privacy of members of Bollywood is being invaded and their reputations are being irreparably damaged by painting the entire industry as "criminals, seeped in drug culture, and making being part of Bollywood as synonymous with criminal acts in the public imagination".

The suit contended that this is not the first time that legal action has been initiated against the defendants and some of them have been penalised earlier by the courts and authorities for alleged irresponsible reportage and defamatory content.

It cited the example of actor Sushant Singh Rajput death and said even after the case involving his unfortunate death was transferred to the CBI, the media houses concerned "indulged in what could be aptly described as a frenzy suggesting that the CBI would start making arrests. That has still not happened".

The suit alleged that the 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.

"The plaintiffs are not seeking a blanket gag order against media reportage of the investigation in cases relating to the death of Sushant Singh Rajput or of FIRs...Filed by the NCB, Mumbai. The plaintiffs are merely seeking perpetual and mandatory injunction against the defendants from carrying on reportage and publication of material that violates applicable laws," it said.