Bata files defamation suit against Jolly LLB 2, Akshay & team summoned to court
Annu Kapoor’s dialogue prompted Bata to file the suit. Picture Courtesy: Legally Indian
A magistrate court has summoned the team of Bollywood movie Jolly LLB 2, including actors Akshay Kumar and Annu Kapoor, Director Subhash Kapoor and its producers, in a defamation case filed by Bata footwear.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sandeep Garg, in an order last week, has issued summons to Jolly LLB 2 producer Fox Star Studios India Private Limited, executive producer Naren Kumar, Subhash Kapoor, actors Annu Kapoor and Akshay Kumar, and others asking them to appear in court on February 22.
In a press statement, Bata India Limited stated that it filed a criminal defamation case against the team of Jolly LLB 2 for using derogatory remarks and defamatory reference to Bata as a brand in the first official trailer of the movie.
In its complaint, Bata cited Annu Kapoor’s dialogue, where he says, “Varna kya? Bata ka joota pehan kar, tuchhi si terricot ki shirt pehan kar, sala hum se zabaan lada rahe hain.”
“Immediately on the conclusion of the aforementioned dialogue, Akshay Kumar was shown to have slapped Annu Kapoor. Further while the dialogue played, the English subtitle to the same are appearing in the following manner: “Who are you to argue with me in your ‘cheap shoes’ and shabby clothes,” the complaint states.
“The official trailer had been trending and been watched rapidly over the internet and in theatres. The brand Bata has been deliberately shown in an extremely bad taste and the dialogue was intended to convey that the brand Bata is adorned only by lower strata of society and one should feel humiliated if one wears Bata footwear,” it adds.
Prima facie, the court has found offence under sections 500 (defamation) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code, which are made out against the accused persons and said that there is sufficient grounds to proceed against them.
The film also ran into legal trouble prior to its release, after an advocate filed a petition in Bombay High Court saying the film portrayed lawyers in bad light. The HC, taking cognisance of the matter, asked the makers to delete four scenes from the film.
