Script copies without Manish Gupta’s name are being circulated ‘mysteriously’...
Yesterday, After Hrs reported that writer-director Manish Gupta (Rahasya) had sent a legal notice to producer Kumar Mangat after they had a fallout over Section 375: Marzi Ya Jabardasti, on which they were collaborating. While Kumar told us that he sacked Manish from the film, we have procured the ‘Friendly and Amicable Termination of Writer & Director Agreements’, which the latter had sent to the former by email on May 12 this year and also a copy of the Copyright Certificate that bore Manish’s name, dated May 24, 2016.
An industry source tells us, after Kumar issued a Termination Notice to Manish on May 21, he allegedly started circulating the script to bring a director on board to helm the movie. A source said, “Considering that every writer ensures his name and contact details are marked on each page of the script, some of the directors offered to direct the film were surprised to see that the copies they were given had no mention of the writer. Instead, the copies bore the names of producers Kumar Mangat Pathak and his son, Abhishek Pathak and of their production house, Panorama Studios.”
After Hrs has procured copies of both versions of the scripts — one with Manish’s name on it and the other without it. We hear that two of the directors, one of whom is Shivam Nair (Naam Shabana), was offered to direct Section 375. Apparently, when he learnt that it was Manish’s script and that he had the copyright, he declined to helm the movie.
According to the Legal Notice that Manish sent to Kumar Mangat and his company, he learnt on June 7 that the producers had handed the script’s copy to Shivam and it did not bear Manish’s name as the writer. “The differences began when the writer-director sought to amicably end their contract and move on to making the movie with another producer after waiting for seven months as Kumar couldn’t get Akshaye Khanna’s dates or tie up with a studio,” says our source, adding, “Seeing this film slipping out of his hands, it seems Kumar is putting the blame on Manish as stated in the Termination Letter that he had sent to him. But Manish is prepared to fight. He has already sent the Legal Notice to Kumar and his company. He will be moving court against them shortly.”
(Images: DNA After Hrs Exclusive)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Manish Gupta and (right) Kumar Mangat")
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}