The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to stay the release of movie Nyay: The Justice, purportedly based on the late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, in cinema halls and on OTT platforms, saying there is no “unholy interest” in the story of the man’s life which was “exceptional”.
A vacation Bench of Justices Anup Jairam Bhambhani and Jasmeet Singh said there was nothing to show that there would be “any detrimental effect” on Rajput’s reputation by production of movies about his life based on “what is available in public domain.”
Rajput’s father Krishna Kishore Singh had challenged a single judge’s order refusing to stay the film or to restrain anyone from using his son’s name or likeness in movies.
The High Court said there was no written script or story which had been used by the film-maker and refused to pass any interim order on the appeal by Sushant’s father.
“There is nothing that they [makers] have or they could have used except what is available in the public domain. There is no unholy interest in the life story because the man’s life was an exceptional life which is a plausible theme for a movie and they have made a movie,” the court said.
The court issued notice and sought response from the movie’s director Dilip Gulati and producers Sarla Saraogi and Rahul Sharma and others while posting the matter for hearing on July 14.
The Bench noted the submission of senior advocate Chander Lal that the film had been released on website and a mobile app on June 11 as scheduled.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, representing Rajput’s father, argued that the producer and the director of the film had commercially exploited the life story of the the actor who allegedly committed suicide at his Mumbai home last year.
Mr. Salve argued that the single judge had misdirected, misapplied and misinterpreted law laid down by the Supreme Court in Puttaswamy case (Right to Privacy).
He said the movie was going to infringe upon the right to privacy and the right to a fair trial and with each passing day, it was causing damage to the reputation of the actor.
“The film is trying to portray his life. What exactly happened to him is still under investigation. You cannot jump the gun,” Mr. Salve said.
