FOX STAR STUDIOS Vs. APARNA BHAT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) "He threw acid on my face, not on my dreams" - so said the valiant survivor of acid attack - Ms. Laxmi Agarwal. Her arduous and heroic journey since the time she was attacked at the young age of 15 is the subject matter of the cinematograph film 'CHHAPAAK'.

(2.) Director/Producer, Ms. Meghna Gulzar, who is Defendant No.1 in the present suit, has produced and directed cinematograph film 'CHHAPAAK', which was released yesterday i.e. on 10th January, 2020 across the country. The film relates to an important social cause i.e., the portrayal of women who are acid attack victims. It has been publicly acknowledged that the film was inspired by a real-life event which occurred in the case of an acid attack victim Ms. Laxmi Aggarwal - her emotional and legal journey. The film seeks to capture, in a fictionalised manner the events that occurred since 2005. The film itself is a fictionalised version of real-life events.

(3.) The Respondent No.1/Plaintiff - Ms. Aparna Bhat (hereinafter, "Plaintiff") is a practising lawyer. As per the plaint, she is stated to be practising in the area of women's rights, children's rights and rights of other underprivileged sections of society. The case in the plaint is that she was the lawyer representing acid attack survivor Ms. Laxmi Agarwal. The Plaintiff had represented her in the criminal trial, which ensued after the attack, in the High Court and also in a PIL in the Supreme Court. It is her case in the plaint that she was approached by Defendant No. 1 for her assistance in the making of the film. The Plaintiff claims she was involved in the making of the film by giving her inputs, providing documents, explaining the legal nuances in the entire journey, editing the script etc.,