The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court saw the promos of Rohan Sippy's forthcoming movie Dum Maaro Dum in the court hall before fixing April 18 as the date for arguments in the matter.
The film ran into controversy after a media professional, Savio Rodrigues, filed a PIL in the court, seeking a ban the release of the movie, stating that it portrayed Goa and its people in bad light. It also evoked a strong reaction from activist Winnie Coutinho, who represents women's organisations.
The lawyer of Fox Star Studios India Private Limited (FSSIPL), which is the distributor for the movie, told the bench that they have changed the ‘objectionable’ dialogues in the movie, which is set to release on April 22.
The HC’s division bench comprising Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice S C Dharmadhikari fixed the hearing in the matter for next Monday, after watching the promos in the court hall on the laptop of one of the lawyers.
The petitioner said that both, the old promos (with the objectionable taglines) and the new ones after deletion of that content, were shown to the bench. The entire movie will also be screened before the division bench before its theatrical release scheduled somewhere end of this month. FSSIPL representative Dina Duttani added that they have no issues in showing the entire movie to the division bench. "There is nothing in the movie that spells disrespect for the Goans," she said, while admitting that the objectionable part has been deleted from the film. But she rubbished the claim that they have changed the promos fearing a court case. "The promos always change whenever a movie is nearing its release. Now the promos speak of the story line," Duttani said.
{{/usCountry}}The petitioner said that both, the old promos (with the objectionable taglines) and the new ones after deletion of that content, were shown to the bench. The entire movie will also be screened before the division bench before its theatrical release scheduled somewhere end of this month. FSSIPL representative Dina Duttani added that they have no issues in showing the entire movie to the division bench. "There is nothing in the movie that spells disrespect for the Goans," she said, while admitting that the objectionable part has been deleted from the film. But she rubbished the claim that they have changed the promos fearing a court case. "The promos always change whenever a movie is nearing its release. Now the promos speak of the story line," Duttani said.
{{/usCountry}}In the affidavit filed before the bench, FSSIPL has also said that the film is a fictitious story about a drug mafia in Goa and its links with various foreign elements. “The story is essentially about how a minister in Goa directs an honest police officer to eradicate the drug mafia," it adds.
The distributors have said that there is nothing in the film, which could be construed as depiction of Goa, or its citizens in negative light.
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