Akshay Kumar’s next project ‘Mission Mangal’ caught up into a controversy as soon as it was announced. Director Radha Bharadwaj had approached Bombay High Court claiming copyright of this film.
The film is being endorsed as India’s first space film. It is about about India’s 2014 Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan. But Bharadwaj filed a suit claiming that the movie infringes on the copyright of her original screenplay titled ‘Space MOMs’.
Bharadwaj wants a stay order for the production and the release of the movie.
Earlier this month Akshay announced that he will co produce this movie along with Fox Star Studios and Cape of Good Films. Film also stars Vidya Balan, as female lead, Sonakshi Sinha, Tapsee Pannu and others.
According to the suit filed by Radha Bharadwaj, she gave the screenplay to producer Atul Kasbekar, two years ago, in 2016. The producer signed a non-disclosure agreement that clearly states that disclosing the project to anyone without Bharadwaj’s written consent is prohibited.
But later she found out that Kasbekar had showed the script to Vidya Balan. After which Radha cancelled the agreement with him.
According to the suit claimed by Bharadwaj, she had her screenplay registered with US Copyright Office in 2016. Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO) supported her movie and she even interviewed several engineers of the organisation.