Accusing the producers of Bollywood hit and Indian National Award-winning movie Neerja of “criminal conspiracy” and going back on their word of sharing 10 per cent of the net profit, Neerja Bhanot’s family has moved the court in Chandigarh.
“The entire episode has trappings of a criminal conspiracy between respondent [Bling Unplugged] and Fox Star Studios India Pvt Ltd, who right from the inception of the agreement [between the family and the producers], in a planned manner had dishonestly induced the petitioners and family members of late Rama Bhanot with the intention of wrongful gains to themselves,” the petition moved by the family before the Punjab and Haryana High Court states.
The court was moved after both sides failed to resolve the money sharing issue. The matter will be heard in July.
The family has contended that the producers had agreed to pay the family a fixed compensation of Rs750,000 (Dh42,710) and share 10 per cent of the net profits of the film. It was signed by leading fashion photographer Atul Kasbekar on behalf of his film production company Bling Entertainment Solutions Ltd and Bhanot’s family. The petition said the producer made the film with Fox Star Studios India Pvt Ltd. The movie, made at a cost of Rs210 million, generated a revenue of over Rs1.35 billion as per market reports.
“However, when it came to paying 10 per cent of the profits, the producer contended that Fox Star Studios were to keep 80 per cent of the profits while Bling was to get the rest. We were offered a pittance, which we refused to accept. We were to put the money in a Trust in the name of Neerja and help other people,” Aneesh Bhannot, who along with his brother Akhil Bhanot and mother Rama Bhanot (now deceased), signed the agreement, said.
The film, directed by Ram Madhvani, bagged the National Award for Best Hindi Feature Film at the 64th National Film Awards in April this year. Actress Sonam Kapoor, who played the role of Neerja Bhanot, got a special mention by the jury for her acting.
Real-life Bhanot was killed trying to save passengers during a terrorist-hijack of a Pan-Am flight at the Karachi airport in Pakistan on September 5, 1986. The senior flight purser of Pan-Am 73 flight, died in a shootout that left 20 dead and 150 injured.
