SonyLIV, filmmaker Hansal Mehta and studio Applause Entertainment have joined hands for “Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga.”
MUMBAI, May 18 (The CONNECT) – Responding to SonyLIV’s plan to stream web series on Sahara group’s founder late Subrata Roy, the conglomerate raised a strong objection to the use of the word scam in the title.
SonyLIV, filmmaker Hansal Mehta and studio Applause Entertainment have joined hands for “Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga,” said veteran journalist Tamal Bandyopadhyay in his facebook post.
Taking objection to the use of the word ‘scam’ in the title and linking it to Sahara, the company said it “seems prima-facie defamatory, and tends to lower down the image and reputation of Saharasri Ji and Sahara India Pariwar”.
The web series is based on Tamal’s 2014 book “Sahara: the Untold Story”. He recalled that Sahara had filed a Rs200 crore defamation suit against him even before the book hit the stands, to stall the publication.
The series will tell the story of businessman Subrata Roy of the Sahara India Pariwar that operated in the financial services, construction, real estate, sports, manufacturing, hospitality, media and life insurance sectors, Tamal said.
In the early 2000s, Roy was accused of several financial misdemeanours, leading to his arrest in 2014. He died in 2023, Tamal said.
Sahara said in its reaction that the group is seeking advice to take suitable legal action against the Producer, Director and all those who are involved in making the illegal portrayal.
“An abusive and grossly condemnable act has been demonstrated by the makers of ‘Scam’ to achieve cheap and wide publicity, by announcing to unveil, “Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga”, said Sahara corporate communication department.
“Sahara India Pariwar condemns such acts of all the individuals and parties involved and shall resist to their offending behaviour,” it said.
The dispute between SEBI and Sahara is still pending before the Supreme Court and any attempt to influence the proceedings of the case shall attract contempt of Court, besides such acts amount to criminality, the group said.
In the garb of a right of free Speech and expression, no one can be allowed to undermine the goodwill and reputation of a person, who is not available to defend himself, it said.
Sahara India Pariwar has never been involved in any chit fund activity. Even the Sahara-SEBI issue was a dispute on the SEBI’s jurisdiction on OFCD bonds issued by Sahara, it said.
