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Telugu producer ordered not to take Gandhi's name in vain

Justice B Sudershan Reddy of the Andhra Pradesh high court today directed the producers of the Telugu film Neti Gandhi (Modern Gandhi) not to make use the name of the father of the nation in the film. The judge, however, permitted the producers to release the film, as per schedule, on January 8.

Justice Sudershan Reddy passed the order on a public interest writ petition filed by the Gandhi Smaraka Samithi, represented by Gopichand.

The petitioner contended that the producers were making a mockery of Gandhism by showing that the father of the nation could not ensure a just social order through non-violence unlike the film's hero who punished evil forces with his AK-47 rifle. The film had received a censor certificate despite protests by Gandhian organisations.

The judge directed the counsel for the film censor board L Narsimha Reddy to produce all the files and proceedings of the board pertaining to the granting of the censor certificate.

The counsel for the producer, informed the court that the producers had abundant faith and respect for Gandhism and they were not depicting Gandhi in poor light as alleged by the petitioner.

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