Bachchan-Devgn starrer Aarakshan in title clash with TV serial

Prakash Jha has created a furore over Imagine's forthcoming TV show Aarakshan. Reason? The Raajneeti director's next project starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn has the same title.

On Monday, the filmmaker dashed off a legal notice to the channel to restrain them from using a similar name. Armaanon Ka Balidaan " Aarakshan goes on air next month. The promo of the soap went on air recently.

Let's get legal

Says a source, "Barely were the promos on air when Prakash Jha contacted the channel. He told them that they could not utilise the name as his film has the same title. He wanted to know the storyboard of the show."

Adds the source, "The channel thought of sorting the matter amicably. They considered the option of not highlighting the word in the promos. But the director seemed to be in no mood to listen and sought legal redress."

Specific concern

Confirms Saurabh Tewari, senior vice-president and head of fiction programming, Imagine, "Yes, it's true that Mr Prakash Jha has raised objection to the title of our show. Though ours is Armaanon Ka Balidaan "Aarakshan, his concern is with the use of the last word as he is making a movie titled Aarakshan."

He adds, "We are currently in the process of having the issue sorted through the industry association. The concept and story of the show were developed by our in-house creative team and we are not aware of the story of his film."

The small screen soap is a love story with a backdrop of reservations as an issue.

The grouse

Points out Tewari, "The reservation issue and agitation related to it was one of the biggest socio-political incidents in the early 1990s and no one can have copyright over the subject. It's like saying if one is making a film on Partition, no one else can choose the same incident as backdrop of his story."

The show's concept is of the channel that they got developed through writer Kamlesh Pandey, who is also co-producer of the show. Jha has also had a word with Pandey about the soap.