New Delhi: Former Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has initiated a legal notice to Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandez and others, including the makers of upcoming film ‘Ram Setu’.
His complaint is that the film was distorting the Ram Setu saga, reported ANI.
“Mumbai cinema (or is it sin-e-ma) wallas have a bad habit of falsifying and misappropriation. Hence to teach them Intellectual Property Rights, I have through Satya Sabharwal Adv issued Legal Notice to Cine Actor Akshay Kumar (Bhatia) and 8 others for distorting Ram Setu saga,” Akshay tweeted on Sunday.
“My client in 2007 successfully argued before the Supreme Court for the preservation and protection of the Rama Setu and had opposed the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project of the Government of India which envisaged rupturing the Rama Setu (held to be sacred by Hindus).. on August 31, 2007, the Supreme Court was pleased to pass stay order against any plan to demolish or damage the Rama Setu. This was on the grounds that faith and worship is a constitutional imperative,” the notice stated.
“It has come to my client’s knowledge that a movie named Ram Setu has been filmed and is set to be released… That Court proceedings are an integral part of saving the Ram Setu being demolished by previous Governments and if the same is being picturized in the addressee’s film, then my client has contributed in the film vide the Court proceedings initiated and my Client is bound to be recognized for the same with correct picturization of original facts and the Original Petitioner’s name used anywhere in the film,” Advocate Sabarwal further stated in the notice.
“This notice is being sent to check and prevent any false, wrong, and mala fide representation of facts with respect to the Court proceedings (including but not limited to) or otherwise in the movie Ram Setu. That it is also important to mention, the script/frames with respect to the Court proceedings related to Ram Setu be shared with my client to further prevent any falsification of facts and wrong picturization of facts and circumstances which transpired in the past.”
For an amicable resolution of the issue, the notice urged the film’s makers to give an undertaking of acknowledgement of Swamy’s contribution through the Courts in the opening credits of the film.
Akshay and Jacqueline apart, the Abhishek Sharma-directed Ram Setu also features Nushrratt Bharucha and Satya Dev. The film is scheduled for an October 24 release.
Ram Setu, or Adam’s Bridge, is a chain of natural limestone shoals, connecting India and Sri Lanka.