All about Rajneeti Film

Friday, June 18, 2010

Court asks police to lodge FIR against MLAs for screening 'Raajneeti'

JAIPUR: A local court today directed the police to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) against some Rajasthan BJP MLAs for allegedly organising the screening of a pirated version of Prakash Jha's political saga "Raajneeti".
Chief Judicial Magistrate Seema Juneja gave the direction on a complaint filed by one Yogendra Singh for violation of the copyright and other acts.
Over 70 MLAs led by BJP general secretary and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, who were holding close door meetings on the eve of Rajya Sabha polls at a hotel here, had allegedly taken some time out to watch the movie on Tuesday.
In the complaint, Singh claimed that none of the BJP MLAs was staying at the hotel and its owners had not taken any permission for screening of the movie.
Besides the BJP MLAs, including its chief whip Rajender Singh Rathore, the petition also levelled charges against the hotel owner and others.
"As it is the exceptional case of cognisable offence for violating the Indian Copy Right Act 1957, Information Technology Act, and Rajasthan Video Film Exhibition Act, 1991, any person can take up the legal procedure against those who allegedly violated by viewing movie released just two weeks ago," the petitioner claimed.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the law will its own course in the case.
He was replying to a question on the court's direction after casting his ballot for the Rajya Sabha elections.
"I respect the court's order and the law should take its own course," he said.
He maintained that BJP has the practice of keeping its flock together on the eve of elections. "They have been watching movies, playing football and swimming at the hotel," he alleged.
He said Congress, on the other hand, does not believe in such practices and propaganda.
'Raajneeti', a multi starrer, is inspired by the epic Mahabharata and depicts a saga of a warring political family in Bhopal.
The multi-crore film, which was released on June 4, stars Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Naseeruddin Shah, Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal and Manoj Bajpai.
Infuriated by the alleged screening, the film's director Prakash Jha had yesterday threatened legal action.
"I am very angry. It is shameful. How can lawmakers break the law like that? They should be the ones to put a stop to such illegal things and create examples but they are blatantly breaking the law," he had told PTI on phone.
"My lawyers are looking into it. We are looking into all aspects like who saw it and where was it screened. We will take appropriate legal action," Jha had said.

Court orders probe into pirated DVD screening of Raajneeti

A court in Jaipur on Thursday asked police to lodge a first information report (FIR) and investigate into allegations that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators watched a pirated DVD of the recently released Bollywood film Raajneeti.

"Acting chief judicial magistrate (CJM) on a criminal complaint filed on Wednesday by my client Yogendra Singh ordered the Muhana police station in Jaipur to file an FIR against BJP's chief whip in the assembly Rajendra Singh Rathore, the owner of Hotel Jaipur Greens and the general manager of the hotel," A.K. Jain, the lawyer for the complainant said.

He said that Singh, a Jaipur citizen, had lodged a complaint against these three under various sections of the Copyright Act, Information Technology Act and Indian Penal Code in the CJM court.

"Besides naming these three in our complaint, we had also requested for thorough investigation into the matter and to find out who all were part of this conspiracy," Jain said.

Sources in the hotel said 66 of the 79 BJP legislators had watched the movie Tuesday.

Fearing cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls June 17, the state unit of the BJP had put all its 79 legislators in Hotel Jaipur Greens on the outskirts of the city to prevent horse-trading and defections.

"There was fear that the legislators may not vote for Ram Jethmalani, whom they consider an outsider, so the party decided to huddle them up together and place them in a hotel. This would mean that the chances of horse-trading or defection becomes negligible," a BJP leader told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Filmmaker Jha is furious that the legislators watched a pirated version of his latest film.

"We are contemplating legal action against illegal screening of the film," Jha told IANS over phone. "This is really bad. How can lawmakers be lawbreakers?"

"We in the film industry are really disturbed that a film which has just been released is being screened in such an illegal manner... We are seeking legal advice and would certainly take appropriate action against the hotel and the people who have seen the film in this manner."

Raajneeti row: Court asks police to file FIR

A local court has intervened in the piracy controversy involving Rajasthan unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has asked the police to file a First Information Report (FIR) against the MLAs, who watched the pirated version of the new Bollywood movie, Raajneeti.

The state unit of BJP had locked down its MLAs in a hotel over the past few days to prevent cross voting in the Rajya Sabha Polls. On Tuesday, Jun 15, a pirated DVD of the Prakash Jha film was screened. The incident came to light with the director reacted to the incident questioning how 'lawmakers can be lawbreakers' and considered taking legal action against the legislators.

On a complaint filed by a man, identified as Yogendra Singh, against the MLAs for violation of the copyright and other acts, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Seema Juneja on Thursday, Jun 17, directed the police to file an FIR.
The complainant, Singh, has levelled charges against the hotel owner and others besides the BJP MLAs and the party's whip Rajender Singh Rathore, citing that none of the above mentioned had not taken any permission for screening of the movie.
"As it is the exceptional case of cognisable offence for violating the Indian Copy Right Act 1957, Information Technology Act, and Rajasthan Video Film Exhibition Act, 1991, any person can take up the legal procedure against those who allegedly violated by viewing movie released just two weeks ago," the petitioner claimed.
When asked about the row and the court's directions, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot left the matter to the law.
"I respect the court's order and the law should take its own course," he said.

Jha to take action against BJP MLAs

Prakash Jha’s share of controversies over Raajneeti isn’t over yet. After the tussle with the Censor Board over the film’s U/A certification and a plausible run-in with an Indian political family on any similarities between the film and real life politicians, Jha is now battling piracy issues with none other than the BJP!
On June 15, the film was screened at a five star resort, but as it turned out, it was a pirated version of the film.
BJP MLAs had checked into the resort in Jaipur a couple of days before the Rajya Sabha elections. The MLAs then bonded by watching Raajneeti. “We are watching this movie because it has the title Raajneeti, it is the latest movie in town and more so because it has to do with politics,” Vasundhara Raje is quoted to have said when asked what made her screen the movie for her party workers.
But what Raje probably did not realise is that the party was watching an illegal print of the political blockbuster, or perhaps she did. A visibly irritated Jha responds, “It’s funny to see that the first among lawmakers themselves are turning against the law.” He then adds, “It’s ridiculous that they screened a pirated version of the movie! How can they not know that the original version of a just-released movie will never be available in the market?”
He adds, “If they wanted to see the movie so desperately, they should have asked me and I would have provided them with an original copy of the film. Pata nahi in politicians ko kya maza aata hai ye sab kar ke news create karne mein.”
So, is he planning to take any legal action? “No one will be spared, everybody involved – whether it is Vasundhra Raje or the hotel authorities – will be punished. Jo bhi isme involved hai will have to answer and face the law. As of now, I’m in Patna, but I have contacted my lawyer who is seeing what legal action can be taken against the culprits. It’s high time that a lesson be taught to people committing such illegal actions. We have been trying so hard all these years to fight piracy and they just come, watch a pirated movie and go. Not done!” Over to you, Ms Raje.

Rajneeti over Rajneeti

You wouldn’t steal a car. You wouldn’t steal a handbag. You wouldn’t steal a mobile phone. You wouldn’t steal a DVD. Downloading pirated films is stealing. Stealing is against the law. Piracy: it’s a crime.” So went the step-by-step logic of the Motion Pictures Association of America, as it tried to staunch the free flow of bootlegged copies. And now, the BJP might have to walk the plank for its act of criminality. The party, which had practically abducted and holed up its Rajasthan MLAs in a resort near Jaipur to prevent last-minute temptation before the Rajya Sabha vote, found itself foiled by a different kind of Raajneeti.

To divert the restless MPs, the party had thoughtfully provided up-to-the-minute entertainment, allegedly treating them to the latest Bollywood flick on the amoral world of Indian politics. Unfortunately, the film is still running in theatres, and so the DVD would have to be a pirated one. Its director Prakash Jha has threatened legal action against the BJP and declared himself appalled the very guardians of the law were flouting it. (Of course, Jha wouldn’t blink at S&M, murder, rape, abandonment of babies, rampant corruption, extortion etc, which features as a fact of political life in his films — but a DVD rip-off shakes him to the core.) BJP MLAs, though, seem unrepentant about the IPR iniquity, saying Jha was “making a mountain out of a molehill”.

As for Jha’s question about how lawmakers can be lawbreakers, perhaps because intuitively many in India do not equate piracy with straightforward theft, any more than they view photocopying as one. The general attitude is much like Jha’s own vision of Indian politics — ethically indifferent, caught up with immediate gain, and accompanied by a rather dim sense of consequences.

BJP MLAs caught playing dirty Raajneeti

The Congressmen were recently blasted for watching Raajneeti even before it was sent to censor board. Now, it's the turn of its arch rivals BJP MLAs to feel the heat. A local court has asked the police to file an FIR against the Rajasthan unit of the party who watched the pirated version ofRaajneeti.

It all happened at a hotel where the MLAs were locked up to prevent crossed voting in the Rajya Sabha elections. The pirated DVD of Prakash Jha's Raajneeti was screened for the politicians. Following a complaint by one named Yogendra Singh for violating copyright and other acts, the Chief Judicial Magistrate Seema Juneja, on Thursday (June 17) directed the police to file an FIR against the people who watched the film.

The petitioner in his complaint levelled charges against the hotel owner besides the MLAs under Indian Copy Right Act 1957, Information Technology Act and Rajasthan Video Film Exhibition Act, 1991. He alleged that the politicians watched the film without taking the permission of the filmmakers.
Raajneeti, featuring Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Ajay Devgn and Nana Patekar was released on June 4 and has been doing strong at the box office.

Rajneeti's exceptional success at box office

Prakash Jha’s ‘Rajneeti’ has been dominating the box office both in India and overseas, ever since it released ten days ago.

The Walkwater Media and UTV Motion Pictures' production is among the few Bollywood films that have received critical acclaim worldwide and has grossed Rs 945 million in India alone till now.

Overseas score of the movie has also been good in its first ten days with Rs 160 million collected from the 300 screens that the movie is playing on.

While ‘Rajneeti’ has done a business of $1,287,416 in the U.S., it has collected $588,305 in the UK and $726,081 in the Gulf region.

The multi-starrer film, released on June 4, has Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Naseeruddin Shah, Ajay Devgan, Arjun Rampal and Manoj Bajpai in pivotal roles.

BJP MLAs in trouble for screening a pirated Rajneeti
An FIR has been lodged against a few Rajasthan BJP MLAs for screening the pirated version of the political film that is inspired by the epic ‘Mahabharata’.

Seema Junejak, chief judicial magistrate, ordered for filing the complaint after Yogendra Singh complained that the pirated version’s screening violated the copyright act of the movie.

“As it is the exceptional case of cognisable offence for violating the Indian Copy Right Act 1957, Information Technology Act, and Rajasthan Video Film Exhibition Act, 1991, any person can take up the legal procedure against those who allegedly violated by viewing movie released just two weeks ago,” the petitioner claimed.

More than 70 Rajasthan MLAs headed by BJP general secretary and former chief minister, Vasundhara Raje, watched the pirated version of the movie in a hotel, where they were supposed to hold a meeting regarding the Rajya Sabha polls.

Prakash Jha gets angry
A disturbed and infuriated Jha says, “I am very angry. It is shameful. How can lawmakers break the law like that? They should be the ones to put a stop to such illegal things and create examples but they are blatantly breaking the law.”

“My lawyers are looking into it. We are looking into all aspects like who saw it and where was it screened. We will take appropriate legal action,” he further said.