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Ek Chhotisi Love Story creates a big stir
Koirala takes Nair to court
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Rediff Entertainment Bureau
The controversy surrounding the film, Ek Chhotisi Love Story, has gained momentum. The heroine of the film Manisha Koirala has taken director Shashilal Nair to court.
Koirala has moved the Mumbai High Court and managed to get an ad-interim stay on the release of the film, which is scheduled to release September 6. The next hearing of the case is August 22. Nair, who was present at court, claimed that he would not find it difficult to release the film.
It may be recalled that Koirala had taken objection to some nude scenes that were shot on a body double in the film. Koirala allowed Nair to do it on the condition that he would delete the scene if she didn't like it. After watching the film twice, the actress felt it was not in good taste and wanted Nair to delete the scene. He refused.
An angry Koirala approached IMPPA [Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association] and the Cine Artists' Association, in vain, forcing her to move court.
Koirala has, in her possession, a written commitment by Nair that if she did not approve the scene, he would delete it. Incidentally, she has not charged any price for the film. "I have shot the film in 15 days for a friend, who has now cheated me," claims Koirala. "I did it because, after Grahan, he didn't have any work. So when he approached me, I did it out of friendship. Today, I feel my purpose of doing a favour to a friend has been defeated."
Before going for the Censor Certificate for the film, Nair had stated that he would reshoot the film with another actress if Koirala was not happy with the scene. But later, he got it cleared by the Censors and even announced the release date of the film.
Nair has also planned a poster exhibition of the film, a part of the pre-release publicity.
This is probably the first time in the history of Indian cinema that a director has not stuck to the promise he made to his heroine. Shekhar Kapur had used a body double in Bandit Queen, but with written consent of the actress (Seema Biswas). A body double was used for Nandita Das in Deepa Mehta's Fire, but it did not create any controversy on that front.