The troubles for Manoj Bajpayee’s latest courtroom drama 'Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai' do not seem to be ending. Now, advocate Poonam Chand Solanki from Jodhpur, who is said to be the 'inspiration' for the character in the latest film, is unhappy over the alleged claim that the story of the Apoorv Singh Karki-directorial is based on him.
In the courtroom drama that was released on Zee5 on Tuesday, Manoj Bajpayee plays a lawyer who battles an infamous rape case against a self-proclaimed godman in a Jodhpur court and gets the latter convicted.
Incidentally, Solanki was the advocate who fought the 2013 Asaram Bapu rape case and got the self-styled godman convicted. ALSO READ | 'Asaram Bapu Followers Should First Watch My Film': Manoj Bajpayee On ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’ Makers Receiving A Legal Notice By The Self-Proclaimed Godman's Team
"I have taken the legal recourse in this matter. How can it be claimed that the movie is inspired by real-life events involving me when no NOC was collected from me, nor the script was approved by me? Those who signed an agreement with me sold the rights without informing me," Solanki told IANS.
He also added that the agreement signed with him was for a 'biopic'.
However, in the courtroom drama that was 'inspired' by real-life events, Solanki feels sad about the fact that he has been 'duped'.
Earlier, the film’s makers received a legal notice from Asaram Bapu's charitable trust, Sant Shri Asaramji Ashram Charitable Trust, alleging that it is "highly objectionable and defamatory".
Solanki said, "I have filed a case in the trial court and notices have been served to the producers and others. Imagine, in June 2021, they signed an agreement with me and in September, they sold the rights to another party... How can they do it," Solanki questioned.
He also said that in February 2022, the same party had reached out to him with an addendum. "I was kept in the dark that the rights were sold. Even the party that bought them didn't inform me," Solanki told IANS.
"My intellectual property rights have been violated, so notices have been served to the producers and the next hearing is scheduled on May 31," he added. ALSO READ | 'Sushant Singh Rajput Could Not Handle Industry Politics And Groupism’, Claims Manoj Bajpayee, Says, ‘He Was A Pure Soul, Andar Se Baccha Tha’
Solanki lashed out at the makers for the way the advocate has been 'portrayed' as a hero in the film, saying, "I am not a hero, I simply discharged my duties as a lawyer. As the script was not shown to me, I don't know what fictional or non-fictional matters they had collected, or whether they could do it legally," Solanki told IANS.
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