Manoj Kumar drags SRK, Farah to court in 'Om Shanti Om' matter

Mumbai, April 2 (IANS) Retired actor-filmmaker Manoj Kumar lodged a criminal case in a local court here Tuesday against superstar Shah Rukh Khan and choreographer-director Farah Khan for allegedly defaming in their 2007 movie "Om Shanti Om".

Among other things, the 75-year old actor has demanded registration of a first information report against Shah Rukh and Farah for alleged offences pertaining to cheating, defamation, criminal breach of trust and conspiracy, in his complaint before the Andheri Metropolitan Court.

The case is related to a scene in the blockbuster movie in which Shah Rukh had mimicked Manoj Kumar in a manner which the veteran actor found objectionable.

The magistrate, while adjourning the matter till Friday, has directed that a CD of the movie containing the objectionable scene be produced before the court.

Manoj Kumar had filed a defamation case in 2008, but had withdrawn it after Shah Rukh and Farah Khan apologized and assured that the objectionable scene would be deleted from the movie.

A Mumbai court had also ordered that year that the scene lampooning Manoj Kumar be deleted from the movie before it was released and telecast on television channels.

In his complaint filed through lawyer Ashok Sarogi, Manoj Kumar contended that the movie was released recently in Japan and contained the controversial scene depicting him in poor light.

He further contended that he had been made to believe that the scene was deleted from the movie, but now it was being shown all over the place in an attempt to gain popularity and business for the film, and making money out of it, which he has termed as a "fraud" and "conspiracy".

He has sought a police investigation into the matter since the original negatives and electronic master prints continue to remain with Shah Rukh and Farah Khan.

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Om Shanti Om