The Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) on Saturday cancelled the membership of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was convicted in a rape case recently, and his "adopted daughter" Honeypreet Kaur. The Cine and TV Artists Association (CINTAA) has also dismissed him.
They have barred the two from making any movies in future.
Actor Sushant Singh, general secretary of CINTAA, told IANS: "We have cancelled his (Ram Rahim's) work permit. It's the committee's decision. He has committed a crime. Depending on the heinous nature of the crime, we had the power to cancel his membership. Considering that, he is not worthy of our membership."
Asked of they have cancelled Honeypreet's membership too, he said, "She was not our member. Only he was. Now his membership is cancelled for lifetime."
"Ram Rahim cannot work in the Indian film and television industry anymore. His membership has been cancelled by the IFTDA. The decision was taken on Friday evening," IFTDA president Ashoke Pandit told IANS over phone from Mumbai on Saturday.
Pandit said the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPAA) is also contemplating terminating Ram Rahim's membership from Monday.
"We are organisations of creative and dignified people. We can't have a goon or criminal amongst us. The law has taken a hard stand on him, and considering how many people died in Haryana due to his manipulation...," Pandit, who is also the vice president of IMPAA, said while explaining the reason for Ram Rahim's ouster from IFTDA.
Ram Rahim was sentenced to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment by a CBI special court on 28 August for the rape of two female disciples.
The Dera chief set out on a film career with the 2015 film "MSG: The Messenger", following it up with "MSG-2 The Messenger" and "MSG: The Warrior Lion Heart", "Hind Ka Napak Ko Jawab: MSG Lion Heart 2" and "Jattu Engineer", all of which he claimed to have written and directed. He acted in the films too.
Honeypreet, whom the Dera website describes as his daughter, also co-directed some of these projects and acted opposite him.
