MUMBAI: The word of war between WSG Pictures’ Sheetal and Bhavna Talwar and Film Federation of India was heard in front of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice Dr. D Y Chandrachud today.
Ravi Kadam along with Vineet Naik, Venkantesh Dhond and Darshan Mehta appeared for and on behalf of petitioners viz WSG Pictures and Bhavna Talwar. Film Federation of India and Vidhu Vinod Chopra were represented by their respective lawyers.
The matter has been adjourned to 17 October, 2007 for further hearing and has continued its earlier order, which means that the selection of Eklavya will still be governed by the outcome of the petition.
According to an official statement from WGS Pictures, the counsel appearing for FFI made a statement that in view of the various affidavits and counter affidavit the FFI itself is rather embarrassed and therefore they would like to go back to the committee as well as write a letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and come back after three-four days with a solution to the issue at hand.
The statement added that the court asked the counsel for the FFI as to how in view of all these facts it would now like to view the impugned decision of the nomination of the film Eklavya, especially having regard to the fact that it is now an admitted position that respondent Number 6, Ranjeet Bahadur has edited the ‘Making of Eklavya’.
Bhavna Talwar said, “We filed this petition to ensure a fair and unbiased selection procedure going forward. In a country that produces hundreds of films every year, we haven’t won a single Oscar and only a handful of nominations. We hope that in the future the selection process is not open to external influences and the FFI ensures the selection of the best Indian film to the Oscars. We look forward to FFI’s response to the issue at hand.”
