Accidental Prime Minister: FIR lodged against Anupam Kher, Akshaye Khanna

Agencies
February 14, 2019

Muzaffarpur, Feb 14: Muzaffarpur Police has lodged an FIR against actors Anupam Kher, Akshaye Khanna and 12 others on a district court's direction in connection with the movie 'The Accidental Prime Minister'.

The FIR was lodged at the Kanti police station on Tuesday after the court took objection to non-compliance of its January 8 order in this regard.

Kher, Khanna and 12 others named in the FIR are associated with the movie 'The Accidental Prime Minister' based on the tenure of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

The court had on January 8 ordered police to lodge an FIR against the actors and 12 others on a complaint filed by advocate Sudhir Kumar Ojha with a plea that the movie presented Manmohan Singh and a number of other public figures in bad light.

Ojha said he had moved the court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate Saba Alam on February 4 to mention that its order was not complied with by the police.

"On this, the court issued show-cause notice to Kanti police station through the Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police after which police lodged an FIR yesterday (Tuesday)," Ojha told reporters Wednesday.

When contacted, Senior Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar said after the matter came to his cognisance, he ordered the police station to comply with the court's order.

Police have lodged the FIR under IPC sections 295, 153, 153A, 293, 504, 506, 120B and 34 which relate to promoting enmity among different groups, sale of obscene objects, insult with intent to provoke breach of peace and criminal conspiracy etc.

In his complaint, Ojha named Kher (who plays the character of Manmohan Singh), as well as Akshaye Khanna, who plays the role Singh's media adviser Sanjaya Baru, on whose book the movie is said to be based upon.

Others named in the complaint include actors depicting the roles of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president (then national general secretary) Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, his deputy Lal Krishna Advani and RJD leader Lalu Prasad.

The producer, director and other key persons associated with the film were also named in the complaint.

The complainant had alleged that he felt hurt upon watching the promos of the movie, which was not released at that time, wherein the public figures were portrayed in a manner that projected a poor image of the country.

The movie was released on January 11, 2019.

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News Network
June 8,2020

Mumbai, Jun 8: Veteran writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar has won the 2020 Richard Dawkins Award for critical thinking, holding religious dogma up to scrutiny, advancing human progress and humanist values.

Akhtar has become the first Indian to be given the honour, which recognises a distinguished individual from the field of science, scholarship, education, or entertainment, who publicly proclaims the values of secularism and rationalism and upholding scientific truth.

Akhtar's wife, veteran actor Shabana Azmi said the award's relevance becomes more prominent especially in the current times when secularism is under attack.

"I am thrilled. I know what a hero Richard Dawkins has been for Javed. The award gains all the more significant because in today’s time when secularism is being attacked by religious fundamentalists of all hues, this award comes as a validation of Javed’s long service to rational thinking," Azmi told PTI.

The award is named after world-renowned English evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. Actor-comedian Ricky Gervais received the honour last year.

Bollywood celebrities Anil Kapoor and Dia Mirza took to Twitter to congratulate the 75-year-old writer for the recognition.

"Knowing that Richard Dawkins has been your hero since you read 'The Selfish Gene', the prestigious Richard Dawkins Award must be extra special for you @Javedakhtarjadu Saab! It's a truly incredible honour! Congratulations!" Kapoor tweeted.

Dia said Akhtar's win is a proud moment for rhe country.

"Javed Akhtar Saab has won the prestigious Richard Dawkins Award 2020 for critical thinking, holding religious dogma upto scrutiny, advancing human progress and humanist values. He is the only Indian to have won this award! @Javedakhtarjadu Congratulations! You make us proud," Dia wrote.

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Agencies
January 9,2020

Mumbai, Jan 9: A day after Deepika Padukone visited the JNU campus to express solidarity with students who had been attacked, her film "Chhapaak" made another splash on Wednesday over the name of its antagonist.

While Deepika was the focus of many a discussion on social media and beyond for showing up at a public meeting in the university, the film, based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, was also making news for quite another reason.

In what could well be a storm in a 'Twitter cup', "Nadeem Khan" and "Rajesh" began trending on the microblogging site after a magazine article claimed the name of the antagonist had been changed. By 4 pm, 'Nadeem Khan' clocked close to 60,000 tweets and 'Rajesh' close behind with 50,000.

In 2005, Laxmi was disfigured for life when a man called Nadeem Khan and three others allegedly hurled acid at her in Delhi's upscale Khan Market.

In the film based on her life, the narrative remains the same but the names have been changed. So, Laxmi is 'Malti' Agarwal and Nadeem becomes 'Babboo' aka 'Bashir Khan'.

On Wednesday, Swarajya magazine wrote an article headlined, "The Ways Of Bollywood: In Deepika Padukone-Starer Chhapaak, Acid Attacker Naeem Khan Becomes ‘Rajesh'." "As part of a backlash against Padukone's JNU 'meet and greet', social media users researched the names of the characters involved in the movie Chhapaak and conspicuously found the name of main perpetrator Naeem Khan absent," the article alleged.

But in the Meghna Gulzar directed film, there is no mention of any Nadeem or Naeem Khan. Moreover, Rajesh is the name of Malti's boyfriend.

Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Babul Supriyo jumped into the controversy, saying it was another example of "absolute hypocrisy".

"...When you say all characters are fictitious and don't have any resemblance with living beings and all of that, this is absolute hypocrisy. When you change the name which also changes the religion, it has been done very deliberately," Supriyo told a TV channel when asked to comment on the controversy.

South Delhi BJP MP Ramesh Biduri also called for a boycott of the movie.

With Deepika grabbing attention by going to JNU, many appreciated her 'silent solidarity' but others criticised her for "supporting the Leftists" and said it was a promotional stunt ahead of the release.

"#BoycottChhapaak" was trending on Twitter as was "#ISupportDeepika".

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Agencies
August 7,2020

Mumbai,  Aug 7: Unless Maharashtra Government consents to CBI investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, it would be illegal, affecting the federal structure of the country, said actor Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered and continued the illegality which was perpetrated at the hands of Bihar Police in connection with the case, he added.

"The Bihar Government transferred a case with which it had no jurisdiction to investigate, to CBI instead of the Mumbai Police which is the legal position. The Supreme Court is seized of the issue pursuant to the transfer petition filed by Rhea Chakraborty," said Satish Maneshinde Chakraborty's lawyer.

The Supreme Court has directed all parties to file their replies and Mumbai Police is directed to place the report of investigations, he added.

"Pending the said proceedings the CBI has registered and continued the illegality which was perpetrated at the hands of Bihar Police.

CBI being a premier investigative agency in the country should desist from taking any further steps pending the SC proceedings. Apart from the same unless the Maharashtra Government consents to CBI investigating the case ... it would be totally illegal and beyond any known legal principles, affecting the Federal Structure of the Nation," said Maneshinde.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CBI that is probing high profile cases of Vijay Mallya and AgustaWestland cases will now investigate the Sushant Singh Rajput's death case.

The investigating agency has registered a case against six accused including Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty and others in connection with the Rajput's death.

The sources in CBI said that six accused in the case will be summoned soon for questioning and other persons will also be called for examining which was earlier examined by Mumbai police.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had earlier sent a recommendation to the Central Government for CBI investigation in the case filed in Patna based on the complaint of Sushant's father KK Singh against Rhea Chakraborty under sections including abetment of suicide on July 25.

Sushant was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14.

Days after Rajput's death, Rhea Chakraborty said she was the "girlfriend" of the 'Dil Bechara' actor while requesting a CBI inquiry in the case.

Chakraborty has also approached the Supreme Court for transfer of investigation to Mumbai in the FIR registered against her in Patna.

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