What goes around comes around. The controversial filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani, who was always in the news for taking strange decisions during his two-year stint as chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification, recently returned to film production, days after getting removed from his position in August. It seems, the ghosts of the past have returned to haunt him now as his upcoming erotica Julie 2 starring Raai Laxmi might not see the light of the day.
A few days ago, Julie (2004) producer filed a case against Nihalani alleging that the latter used the title of his first instalement calling it as a sequel without taking any permission or license from him before producing it. Because of which, Julie 2 release date that is, October 6, stands cancelled.
"It's all because of this gentleman, a producer called N R Pachisia who claims the title Julie is his just because he produced film with the same title 13 years ago. By that logic we should also be taken to court by the makers of the famous Laxmi-starrer Julie from 1975," Nihalani, presenter and distributor of Julie 2, was quoted as saying by Bollywood Hungama.
"Our film Julie has nothing to do with the earlier Julie. The earlier film was about a prostitute. Our Julie is about a star aspirant. Still Mr Pachisia has gone to court claiming copyright infringement. Since the coming weekend is a long one with Dussehra and Gandhi Jayanti holidays there is no time to get the matter sorted. We just have to respect the honourable court and wait for its verdict," Nihalani said.
Nihalani went on to call the entire episode as a form of extortion and said that he would take legal recourse in the issue.
"And no regrets. We will come whenever we find the right window. I am in no hurry. I am confident of Julie 2. I wish Saif Ali Khan and his big release Chef all the best on their release on October 6. But I am also determined to teach producers like Mr Pachisia a lesson for harassing on-release films by taking them to court just weeks and days before release. This is nothing but a form of extortion. I plan to take very strict legal action on this issue," Nihalani said.
