Ashutosh Gowariker’s Mohenjo Daro‘s release date will remain unchanged amid controversies around plagiarism issues between Gowariker and scriptwriter Akashaditya Lama. The Bombay High Court, as on 8 August, refused to stay the release of the periodic drama.
A division bench, comprising of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice A A Sayed, was hearing Lama’s plea, where he accused Gowariker and the producers of Mohenjo Daro of copyright infringement. Following the case, the court on Monday, 8 August, eventually denied an interim relief. The court questioned Lama’s motives considering his petition was moved to the High Court a week after the film’s official promos were out in June this year.
Last week, having received the green signal from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Mohenjo Daro‘s release date will continue to be 12 August. The Bombay High Court ruled the copyright infringement case in favour of Gowariker and team. The High Court also fined Lama a sum of Rs. 1.5 lakh, saying that the intention behind the plea was only to harass the filmmaker.
Scriptwriter Lama, who’s also the director of Cigarette Ki Tarah (2012) alleged that in 2003, he had given the script of Mohenjo Daro to his friend Jaswinder Saluja, an associate of Gowariker. After a few tweaks to the script, Saluja had given it to Gowariker, who was not interested in the story at the time. In 2010, Lama said that he heard that Gowariker was making a film on the Indus Valley Civilisation, and sent an email to the Lagaan director, who chose not to reply. Lama sent an email again in 2014, but again Gowariker had not responded.
Soon after Gowariker made announcements of the film, Lama sent a legal notice to Gowariker, UTV Films, and Disney India at the fag end of 2015 alleging that the makers had stolen his story. Lama alleged that he had made a play with the same title and even registered the same script with the Film Writers Association, Mumbai. He said he had plans to turn his script into a film, and had producers on board. But soon after Gowariker’s announcements were made, producers for Lama’s Mohenjo Daro backed out.
Lama’s fine amount will be donated to Naam Foundation, an organisation founded by Nana Patekar and Makarand Anaspure that works towards the betterment of farmers in Maharashtra’s drought-affected areas.