Plea in SC seeks stay on release of movie 'Indu Sarkar'

A woman, who claims to be the biological daughter of late Sanjay Gandhi, today approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the release of the film "Indu Sarkar", which is based on the 1975-1977 Emergency period.
The film, scheduled for release on July 28, has evoked strong criticism and protest from the Congress.
Priya Singh Paul alleged that the movie, directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, is "full of concocted facts and is totally derogatory" and it maligns the images of former prime minister Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay.
The matter was mentioned before a three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra which refused to give a date for hearing the plea.

However, the bench, also comprising justices Amitava Roy and A M Khanwilkar, which initially told the lawyer appearing for the petitioner to mention the matter before the Chief Justice, later asked him to give the documents so that it may consider about listing it for hearing.
"You give your memo. We will see to it. We are not giving any date," the bench said.

Paul's counsel claimed in the court that in an interview, Bhandarkar had said that the movie is 30 per cent fact and 70 per cent "fiction".
"My biological grand mother was the prime minister. The movie contains totally derogatory facts and it is horrendous for a movie to malign the images of these persons," the petitioner claimed.

Her counsel requested that the matter be heard tomorrow as the movie was slated for release this Friday.
The plea challenged the July 24 order of the Bombay High Court which had dismissed her plea to stay the release of the movie.
The high court had said that the woman had not made out any case for the court to interfere and stay release of the movie after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has already granted certificate to the movie.
The high court had also noted that no acknowledged descendant of Sanjay Gandhi has raised objection to the film.

Bhandarkar's counsel had argued before the high court that the petitioner has no locus standi (not an affected party) to file such a petition, challenging the release of a movie.
The Congress party's apprehensions are over the portrayal of its veterans like Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi and other senior leaders of the party in the film.
Bhandarkar, however, had said he would include a disclaimer in 'Indu Sarkar', stating that the film is mostly fictional.
The censor board has granted a U/A certificate to the film after ordering 12 cuts, which has been complied with.