Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 16: Ashish Kaul, the Chief Executive Officer of M/s Folklore Entertainment and a member of Western India Film and TV Producers Association has served notice to Bollywood actress and film maker Kangana Ranaut and others asking them to desist from using any aspect of the nationalist Didda as mentioned in his book “Didda: The Warrior Queen of Kashmir” in their proposed film.
In the notice served through Bharucha and Partners (Advocates and Solicitors), it has been mentioned that on February 20, 2019, Ashish Kaul’s second book “Didda: The Warrior Queen of Kashmir” was published by Rupa Publications India and released worldwide and it is the most detailed chronicle on “Didda” ever published in the world.
“As our client was looking to re-release his book in Hindi language to enable more people to access the accurate narrative of the legend of “Didda”, he deemed it appropriate to approach Kangana Ranaut and request her to pen a foreword for the Hindi version of book and further invite her to release the second edition of the book”, reads the notice.
Accordingly, on September 11, 2020, Ashish Kaul sent an e-mail to Kangana Ranaut and disclosed details contained in the book. However, on January 14, 2021 Ashish Kaul was shocked and upset to hear news reports that Kangana Ranaut had announced the launch of a new film titled “The legend of Didda” via a tweet. He was further appalled to discover that the nature and treatment of the character of “Didda” in the proposed film was identical to the narrative text, the book and the information communicated by Ashish Kaul in his e-mail of September 11, 2020.
To add further insult to injury, Kangana Ranaut and others even issued public statements alleging that their proposed film is not based on the book. “Our client risks financial losses as he has been in conversation with major producers and studios for the production of a film based on the narrative text, the book and the script, which has been registered under Copyright Act”, the notice further reads.
Through the notice, Kangana Ranaut and others have been asked to cease and desist from making any actual or proposed use of and or otherwise exploiting the book and underlying narrative text. “Our client is determined to take this matter forward to its logical conclusion without any further notice for which you will bear the costs and consequences”, Bharucha and Partners have made it clear in the notice.
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