Charles Sobhraj sues the Sanjay Dutt bio-pic maker

Charles Sobhraj sues the Sanjay Dutt bio-pic maker
Monday, March 02, 2009 13:25 IST
By Subhash K Jha, Santa Banta News Network
/> Herman Knippenberg the Dutch diplomat who investigated Charles Sobhraj's case has been roped in as consultant for the Sanjay Dutt bio-pic apparently based on Sobhraj's life.

However no one involved with the Sanjay Dutt project Charles & I is talking about Sobhraj any more. According to people close to the project Sanjay Dutt who plays the lead has been told not to speak about the character any more.

Says a source, "From the moment the director Prawaal Raman narrated the script to Sanjay he has been charged. The actor has taken charge of the project, so much so that when the original producers pulled out Dutt personally took on the responsibility for getting immediate replacement producers. However the excitable actor has been asked not to mention Sobhraj anywhere."

It looks like Faroukh Dhondy's novel The Bikini Murders is not the only supposedly-biographical target that the controversial convict Charles Sobhraj has chosen for legal recourse.

Former Ram Gopal Varma associate Prawaal Raman who is making a film based on the life and crimes of Sobhraj with Sanjay Dutt in the lead has had to do some quick re-thinking after he received legal summons from Sobhraj's lawyers.

Confirming these developments the Prawaal Raman says, "Yes, Charles Sobhraj has sued us. My lawyers have looked into it. In fact Sanjay Dutt and I were dismayed by reports linking my film about an international criminal to Sobhraj. Let me clarify that my film titled Charles & I is not based on the life of Sobhraj."

So why the title Charles & I? "That's because my protagonist is named Charles and his story is told from the percepective of a retired cop who pursued the criminal all across the world."

The fact that Herman Knippenberg is an inspiration for the cop's character is, of course, just a happy coincidence. Right?

Going by what happened to enterprising filmmakers from Shekhar Kapoor (Bandit Queen) to Jagmohan Mundra (Bawandar) and Deepa Mehta (Heaven On Earth) who have been made financially and creatively accountable by sources for the bio-pics.
From Comedy to Crime: Rajkummar Rao's Most Impressive Roles!

Rajkummar Rao has become one of Bollywood's most flexible actors, known for diving into all kinds of roles-from intense characters to hilarious ones. Here are

Friday, November 08, 2024
Prabhas extends his heartfelt welcome to debutants Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani for Azaad!

Abhishek Kapoor's Azaad has been grabbing all eyeballs for the right reasons. The big screen adventure introduces two young actors Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani in lead roles. The

Friday, November 08, 2024
Singham Again Smashes Box Office with Impressive Day 6 Collection!

The much-anticipated action-packed film Singham Again has set the box office on fire, showing no signs of slowing down. After an extraordinary first week, this Rohit Shetty directorial

Friday, November 08, 2024
Director Anubhav Sinha prefers Convenience over Subsidies!

The 11th India International Film Tourism Conclave (IIFTC) event had a panel discussion focused on enhancing the relationship between India's film industry and state

Friday, November 08, 2024
Vikrant Massey Meets His Idol on KBC 16: A Special Episode with Amitabh Bachchan and IPS Officer Manoj Kumar!

This Friday, get ready for an exciting and unforgettable episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 16 on Sony Entertainment Television! Hosted by the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, the

Friday, November 08, 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT