Akshay Kumar’s Mission Mangal in trouble as US-based filmmaker files lawsuit to halt project

A US-based filmmaker Radha Bhardwaj has filed a lawsuit to stop Akshay Kumar’s Mission Mangal, claiming that Atul Kasbekar shared her screenplay without her approval.

Akshay Kumar’s recently announced his next Independence Day release, Mission Mangal. The project has landed in a controversy even before it could go on the floors. According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, a US-based filmmaker Radha Bharadwaj has filed a lawsuit to halt production of the film as she claims it borrows from her script. She has also called out Atul Kasbekar for sharing her screenplay with cast member Vidya Balan without her approval.

Mission Mangal stars Sharman Joshi, Kirti Kulhari, Taapsee Pannu, Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha and Nithya Menen.(Twitter)

Akshay had earlier announced on his Twitter handle a few days ago, “A powerful true story of ordinary people with extraordinary dreams, on an unheard of mission to achieve the impossible. #MissionMangal will come alive on 15th August, 2019. See you at the theaters.” The film also stars Sonakshi Sinha, Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Sharman Joshi, Kirti Kulhari and Nithya Menen. 

According to the report, Bharadwaj has alleged that the project infringes on the copyright of her original screenplay that she had shared with Kasbekar in 2016. She has claimed that Kasbekar’s studio Ellipsis Entertainment shared the script with Vidya, who is now starring in the film. Apparently, Kasbekar’s team negotiated the deal for Balan’s new movie.

The report also states that Bharadwaj had registered the script with the US Copyright Office in 2016 for the US and Indian market and has completed shooting of her film, Space MOMs. The film revolves around the women engineers working on the mission. Bharadwaj’s lawyer Srishti Ojha had revealed to the daily that she had come in contact with Kasbekar’s studio regarding the film in 2016 and the firm had even signed non-disclosure agreement.

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