Sakshi Sem (right) will play Aarushi Talwar (left) in Rahasya

Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; January 28, 2015)

Director Manish Gupta is a relieved man. Decks have been cleared for the release of his upcoming thriller Rahasya that had met with resistance from the parents of Aarushi Talwar, a Noida teenager, whose murder in May 2008 remains a mystery till date.

The Talwars had blocked the release alleging the film is based on the life of their slain daughter and was unfit for public screening with the case being sub judice. While distributors called it off, the promos and publicity of the film were also withdrawn.

However, Gupta heaved a sigh of relief when the Bombay High Court cleared it during a hearing yesterday. Gupta tells hitlist , “I have spent an entire year fighting this case. I was unable to write or start any other film. The loss to my producer and distributors Viacom 18 has run into crores. But now, Justice V. M. Kanade has ruled Rahasya’s story does not depict the facts of Aarushi’s murder mystery and there is no case made out for a stay or any ad interim relief on the film. As planned, we will release it this Friday.”

In February last year, Aarushi’s mother Nupur had filed a petition in the High Court against Rahasya producer Monica Vimal Maluka demanding a stay on the film’s release and the quashing of its censor certificate. On their part, the makers clarified that Rahasya is a fictitious murder mystery and does not bear any semblance to any person living or dead. As per the Talwars’ request, a special screening of the film was organised but they insisted that there was a similarity to Aarushi’s murder case and continued to demand a stay on the film. In September last year, the court had allowed the producers to go ahead with the publicity, but with a disclaimer.