Ram Gopal Varma says this after Bollywood’s lawsuit against news channel

Bollywood producers and several industries bodies have recently moved the Delhi high court against two news channels for publishing alleged defamatory remarks against the film industry. Now, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has called their move “too late” and even termed it ‘childish’.

On October 12, the Film & Television Producers Guild of India (PGI), Cine & TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA), Indian Film and TV Producers Council (IFTPC), Screenwriters Association (SWA), and 34 production houses unanimously filed the lawsuit against two TV news channels for their alleged irresponsible remarks against the entertainment industry.

Taking his views to Twitter, RGV wrote, “Reaction of Bollywood Is too late and too thanda ..All top film people complaining to Delhi high court is amounting to a school kid telling the teacher ‘Teacher, Teacher , wo Arnab mujhe gaali de raha hai’.”

The suit has been filed against Republic TV, and Arnab Goswami and Pradeep Bhandari of the channel; and Times Now and its top faces Rahul Shivshankar and Navika Kumar.

The two channels allegedly used "highly derogatory words and expressions for Bollywood", said the producers, listing terms like "dirt", "filth", "scum" and "druggies" and expressions such as “it is Bollywood where the dirt needs to be cleaned”, “all the perfumes of Arabia cannot take away the stench and the stink of this filth and scum of the underbelly of Bollywood”, “this is the dirtiest industry in the country”, and “cocaine and LSD drenched Bollywood” used over the past few months.

“Bollywood is unique and stands on a different footing from any other industry inasmuch as it is an industry that is dependent almost solely on goodwill, appreciation, and acceptance of its audience. The livelihood of persons associated with Bollywood is being severely impacted by the smear campaign being run by the defendants. This is in addition to the ongoing pandemic which has resulted in extreme revenues and work opportunity loss. The privacy of the members of Bollywood is being invaded, and their reputations are being irreparably damaged by painting the entire Bollywood as criminals, seeped in drug culture, and making being part of Bollywood as synonymous with criminal acts in the public imagination,” the plea read.

The lawsuit filed by the production houses are The Film & Television Producers Guild Of India (PGI), The Cine & TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA), Rohit Shetty Picturez, Roy Kapur Films, Salman Khan Films, Sikhya Entertainment, Sohail Khan Productions, Tiger Baby Digital, Vinod Chopra Films, Arbaaz Khan Productions, Ashutosh Gowariker Productions, BSK Network and Entertainment, Cape of Good Films, Indian Ad-Labs Films, Ajay DevgnFflims, Andolan Films, Film and TV Producers Council (IFTPC), Screenwriters Association (SWA), Aamir Khan Productions, Anil Kapoor Film and Communication Network, Clean Slate Filmz, Hope Production, Kabir Khan Films, Luv Films, Macguffin Pictures, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, Dharma Productions, Emmay Entertainment & Motion Pictures, Excel Entertainment , Filmkraft Productions, One India Stories, R.S. Entertainment (Ramesh Sippy Entertainment),Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Pictures, Red Chillies Entertainment, Reel Life Productions, Reliance Big Entertainment, Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures and Yashraj Films.

Also Read: Sushant Singh Rajput Demise: Ram Gopal Varma supports ‘nepotism’; calls Karan Johar bigger 'victim'