In a relief to actor John Abraham, the Bombay High Court on Thursday refused to stay the release of the film Mumbai Saga on March 19. Mr. Abraham stars in the film, which is alleged to be based on the lives of jailed gangsters Ravi Bohra and Amar Naik.
A Bench of Justices Amjad Sayed and Madhav Jamdar was hearing a plea filed by the family members of Ravi Bohra and Amar Naik. The latter is the brother of the infamous gangster Ashwin Naik, who is imprisoned for kidnapping and extortion.
The plea sought an ad-interim stay on the release of the film on the ground that, “The release, publication and telecast of the film would lead to violation of right to privacy, fair trial and liberty of the two.” It also sought that the filmmakers should share the copy of the script with the petitioners before the release of the film.
One of the major reasons for seeking a stay on the release of the film was that the trial against Mr. Bohra and Mr. Naik was likely to begin soon and the film, if released, would cause a prejudice to their case. They have been charged under several sections of Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.
The petition also highlighted that the violation of the accused’s right to privacy and liberty. The advocate appearing for the duo had sent a legal notice to the production house. However, he was shocked to see the trailer of the film on February 26, 2021, and sent another legal notice which went unanswered, resulting in the petition.
Senior advocate Birendra Saraf representing the producers argued that the filmmakers never claimed that the film was based on the lives of Mr. Bohra and Mr. Naik. The court, however, said no relief could be granted as the petitioners had approached the court at the 11th hour.
