Bollywood Civil Suit Against Media Houses Aimed At Entire Industry, Not Select Channels

Several Bollywood production houses had filed a civil suit against certain media houses for allegedly 'defaming' the film industry.

File Photo/PTI

Mumbai: A new statement, issued on Wednesday on behalf of Bollywood production houses that filed a civil suit against certain media houses a few days back, now makes it clear that the suit is targeted not at any particular news channel but the entire media industry. A fresh press release by DSK Legal, representing 34 production houses and four film associations, stated that the relief sought from Delhi High Court would be applicable not merely to the two news channels earlier named but to any content on any news channels, individual persons or on any of the digital platforms. "Our clients, the trade associations and production houses of the Hindi film industry which have filed a suit before the Hon'ble Delhi High Court on October 12, 2020 against certain named television news channels and digital media platforms seeking injunctive relief as stated therein, clarify that the suit is not just seeking orders against the channels and platforms named in the suit, but also against unnamed defendants referred to as John Doe/ Ashok Kumar," read the statement. It added: "This means that any orders passed in favour of the plaintiffs would apply to all television channels and content on digital platforms which may be found violating such orders. Our clients have also come across some others publishing such content and will be adding certain specific additional defendants to the suit. Our clients also wish to clarify that as specifically stated in the plaint, they are not seeking a blanket gag order against media reportage of investigation of cases, as our clients find is being erroneously reported." The civil suit was filed on October 12 before Delhi High Court by four Bollywood industry associations and 34 leading production houses, praying that the court direct the news channel Republic TV, Arnab Goswami and Pradeep Bhandari of Republic TV, the news channel Times Now, Rahul Shivshankar and Navika Kumar of Times Now, and unknown defendants as well as social media platforms to refrain from making or publishing irresponsible, derogatory and defamatory remarks against the Hindi film industry as a whole and members of Bollywood. The suit seeks to restrain the news channels from conducting media trials of Bollywood personalities and interfering with right to privacy of people associated with the film industry. It comes in the wake of the above-mentioned channels using words and expressions for Bollywood such as "dirt", "filth", "scum" and "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".