Kapil Sibal asks Aamir Khan to continue on copyright panel

A day after the controversy over Aamir Khan quitting a panel set up by the Union human resources development ministry to suggest changes in the Copyright Act, HRD minister Kapil Sibal stepped in and asked the actor to stay on.

Sibal said seven other members of the panel, including lyricist Javed Akhtar with whom Khan had a spat, had written to him, saying they would like the actor to continue in the committee and requesting him to persuade Khan to withdraw his resignation.

Sibal said he had spoken to Khan about the letter of the members. "I have told Aamir that they are not questioning your integrity and you should withdraw your resignation," he said. "Aamir said he will consider it."

Khan resigned on Tuesday from the 10-member committee set up by Sibal to suggest changes in the 53-year-old act, following differences with Akhtar.

In a letter to Sibal, Khan said he was opting out of the panel as he was being attacked in public by some people.

The members of the panel said they were not questioning Khan's integrity. "We would like the entire committee as constituted in your presence to continue with its appointed task," the letter to Sibal said. "We also want to plainly assert that there has never been any doubt about Aamir's intentions in engaging with this process, far less his integrity."

The letter was signed by Akhtar, Vishal Bharadwaj, Vishal Dadlani, Prasoon Joshi, Anjum Rajabali, Saket Chaudhury, and Ram Sampat.

Sibal, however, regretted the way the matter went to the media after Khan had a spat with Akhtar on the copyright issue.

The actor reportedly had heated exchanges with Akhtar and others over the issue of royalties at a meeting between producers and writers on Sunday.

Akhtar said he would be happy if Khan returned to the panel. "There is no need to stretch the issue," he said. "I have written a letter where I have said that if he returns [to the panel], then I would feel happy."

Sibal said it was an informal committee and the purpose of setting it up was to initiate a process of dialogue on the objections raised by certain sections of the film industry to the proposed amendments to the act.

The aim, he said, is to evolve a formula under which authors of musical, cinematographic, and literary works will be entitled to royalty in case their works are used for commercial purposes, a benefit denied to them so far. The Union cabinet approved amendments to this effect on December 24 last year.

The view of the panel may be considered by a parliamentary standing committee when the bill is referred to it.

The members of the panel also told Sibal that the integrity of the process must be protected at all costs.