MUMBAI: Any publicity is good publicity! And this surely stands true for the Abhishek Bachchan starrer Dum Maaro Dum directed by Rohan Sippy, which has been embroiled in controversies from the word Go!
First it was the title song controversy between the film’s makers and Dev Anand. While Sippy acquired the rights of the song ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ of Dev Anand’s movie Hare Rama Hare Krishna and re-arranged it in his movie; Dev Anand was visibly upset with the makers due to this.
That apart, a few days ago, a PIL was filed in the Goa High Court by Goan resident Savio Rodrigues to seek a stay on the release of the film for showing Goa in bad light. The division bench of Bombay High Court dismissed the PIL on the ground that there was no evidence nor sufficient facts presented in the petition to stop the film from releasing at theatres.
Soon thereafter, the Goa State Commission for Women (GSCW) filed a complaint about a dialogue in the film, that goes like this – “Yahan sharab sasti, ladkiyan uss se bhi sasti aur zindagi toh muft mein hi bik jaati hai,” (Here alcohol is cheap, girls are cheaper and life sells for free). This dialogue was found insensitive by the GSCW, following which the lines were removed from the promos of the film, which are currently on air.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had requested the makers of Dum Maaro Dum to make necessary changes and hence those lines have been done away with from the film and promos.
As if this was not enough, just days before its release, the film has got into yet another controversy – this time with Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training.
In June last year, Fox Star Studios India had approached Frankfinn for in-film branding of its institute by showing Bipasha Basu as one of the students completing her Air Hostess training course from Frankfinn Institute.
Frankfinn had initially agreed to the proposal and shared with the producers its trademarks, logos, images of signage as well as students uniform. However during discussions, it was realised by Frankfinn that overall portrayal of Air Hostess in the film was not line with its standards of education, training and ethics. Hence the institute refused Fox’s proposal. However, Frankfinn learnt through its creative design consultant that a logo and image similar to Frankfinn’s has been used in the film.
Following this, Frankfinn has sued the makers of the film. The Delhi High Court has also admitted the injunction application of Frankfinn. The court has issued the notice to Ramesh Sippy and Fox Star Studios and others to be present in Delhi High Court on Thursday, 21 April, 2011.
At the time of filing the story, Sippy was unavailable for comment. However, a spokesperson on behalf of the producers tells Businessofcinema.com, “The team of Dum Maaro Dum is travelling all around India for promotions and we have not got any statements from them as yet regarding the Frankfinn issue.”
Dum Maaro Dum is slated to release on 22 April. Apart from Bachchan, it stars Bipasha Basu, Rana Daggubati, Prateik Babbar, Aditya Pancholi and Deepika Padukone in a cameo appearance.
