The Delhi High Court will hear on Monday a petition filed by four Bollywood associations and 34 producers to seek a restraint on Republic TV and Times Now channels from making or publishing what they dubbed as “irresponsible, derogatory and defamatory” remarks against Hindi film industry and its members.
The matter is listed before the court of Justice Rajiv Shakhdar.
The plea had also sought to restrain the news channels from conducting “media trials” of Bollywood personalities and interfering with their right to privacy.
The petitioners also urged the court that the defendants abide by the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, and to withdraw, recall and take down all defamatory content published by them against Bollywood.
This comes in the wake of alleged use of words and expressions like “dirt”, “filth”, “scum” and “druggies”, “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” by these channels.
The privacy of members of Bollywood was being invaded, the plea contended, and their reputations irreparably damaged by painting the entire industry as criminals seeped in drug culture. To be a part of Bollywood was being painted as being synonymous with criminal acts in the public imagination, the petitioners said.
Almost all well-known names in Bollywood are represented, including Producers Guild of India, Cine and TV Artiste Association, Film and TV Producers Council, and Screenwriters Association. (IANS)
