HC notice to Netflix on plea seeking stay on airing of show Hasmukh

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the response of video streaming app Netflix over a plea seeking stay on the airing of webseries "Hansmukh" alleging maligning of image of lawyers.

A single judge bench of the high court presided by Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva issued notice to Netflix and the webseries producers and director to file their written statements on the main suit, seeking permanent injunction on airing of the show, and the application for interim stay on broadcasting it.

The court has kept the main matter for hearing on July 7 while it also reserved the order on an application seeking interim stay on the airing of the series.

The plea filed by Advocate Ashutosh Dubey sought court's directions to the webseries producers, directors and writer to tender unconditional apology online saying that the webseries had "maligned the image of the lawyers community, which includes judges as they too had been lawyers at one point of time".

The plea further read, "The said remarks have caused utmost damage to legal profession and impugned the image of lawyers in the eyes of millions of viewers/ subscribers who visit the streaming website where the show is being streamed."

The plea also sought deletion or removal of certain objectionable content from the series especially Season 1 Episode 4.

The plea alleges that in the said episode, the makers have alleged lawyers to be "thieves, scoundrels, goons and have had the indecency to address, lawyers as rapists".

It is not only the advocates, who have been demeaned and disgraced in the whole show but the defendants have not even left the police, especially Uttar Pradesh Police, and the politicians, to which the plaintiffs are not concerned in the present plaint, the plea states.

"Hasmukh" is about an ambitious comic on a mission to prove to his mentor that he is a good comedian. It shows how every dream comes with a price and Hasmukh (Vir Das) realises that the only way to "kill it on stage", is if he "kills off stage".

Also featuring Ranvir Shorey, Manoj Pahwa, Amrita Bagchi, Suhail Nayyar, Inaamulhaq and Raza Murad, "Hasmukh" is directed by Nikhil Gonsalves it released onA April 17. The Netflix show is produced for Applause Entertainment by Emmay Entertainment.