/> It's a classic case of TRP-hijacking. Zee's prized serial Betiyaan which goes on air next week has supposedly been vandalized from another soap on the girl child Paraya Dhan which goes on air in mid-October.

Apparently writer Rekha Mody offered the idea to Zee who put her on to Dheeraj Kumar's company Creative eye. Rekha pulled out due to creative differences with Zee and Creative Eye and offered the project to Star who readily agreed. And now Rekha has sued Zee in the High Court.

According to Star source Shailja Kejriwal, "Zee has appropriated Rekha's plot, characterizations everything. It's not fair to the poor girl. Zee had sent us a legal notice asking what we were doing.

But Paraya Dhan is Rekha's concept.. They've even taken our title Betiyaan. We decided not to fight for the title. But it's wrong of them to take poor Rekha Mody's concept and project."

Zee's spokesperson Ashish Kaul has another story to tell. "We had to protect our interests. We sent a communication to Star informing them that the title Betiyaan is with us and that we've spent considerable time and money on the concept. Thankfully Star changed their title.

The matter ends there for us. As for Betiyaan being similar to Paraya Dhan...can't two channels think on similar lines? The biggest differentiation comes through the art of storytelling. Otherwise the drama is all the same. When a producer approaches us, certain criteria have to be fulfilled.

We're convinced Mr Dheeraj Kumar holds the title rights Betiyaan. I've no idea what Star is mamking. They're masters of the game. They'd never want their product to look similar to our product. I don't know how far Rekha Mody intends to take this. But for us the matter ends there."

Speaking from the High Court Rekha Mody explains, "Zee is lying. Betiyaan is my concept, my serial. I've ample proof. Zee had sent an injunction-notice for Paraya Dhan to Star. How did Zee know our serial was similar to theirs?

I pulled out of Zee with Betiyaan because there were too many creative disputes. They imposed their writers on me....When I opted out they said they're going ahead with my project without me. I had worked for years on the project. I know about the struggle of the girl child. And I wanted to have my say. I first decided to make it for Rakhi Tandon, then Zee...

Finally I found my comfort level at Star. How can a large corporate house like Zee be lying through their teeth? They took my entire property. I left so many serials of Balajee Telefilms to concentrate on Betiyaan. Earlier Zee and Creative Eye/Dheeraj Kumar had done something similar to a serial called Jai Santoshi Maa.

I'm a very small writer. I don't have anyone's backing. Zee and Dheeraj Kumar have lots of money to fight. I don't. I run my family's kitchen. But I won't let ten powerful people grab my creativity and make it their own. Why do such things happen to poor weak writers like us?"