Screen Writers Association clarifies stance after ‘toothless’ jibe by Marksheet writers
8:20 AM
Posted by Fenil Seta
![](https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/MumbaiMirror/get/MMIR-2018-03-28/image.ashx?kind=block&href=MMIR%2F2018%2F03%2F28&id=Pc0440700&ext=.jpg&ts=20180328011322)
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 28, 2018)
A day after Mirror reported (March 27) that Delhi-based writer Dinesh Gautam and actor Imran Zahid had alleged that the story of Emraan Hashmi’s upcoming production, Cheat India, in which he also features in the lead, was ripped off from their film, Marksheet, the Screen Writers Association (SWA) has clarified that the organisation takes all complaints seriously and have strict protocols in place. “Knowing the seriousness of copyright issues, we make every effort not just to be transparent but also neutral, giving equal opportunity to both complainants and respondents to present their case. It is owing to the due diligence practised by SWA’s Dispute Settlement Committee that its intervention is taken seriously by the film and television industries. When cases adjudicated by SWA have gone to court, judges have asked for our report and have also upheld our decisions several times,” Vinod Ranganath, Chairperson of the Dispute Settlement Committee of the SWA, asserted.
Members of the SWA are particularly upset about a comment made by the team of Marksheet — “the organization is toothless”. Ranganath clarifies, “Imran Zahid sent an email to the SWA in January 2018 asking us to take action against the producers of the Cheat India (T-Series, Ellipsis Entertainment and Emraan Hashmi) alleging copyright infringement of his script Marksheet. However, since his SWA membership had lapsed in March 2013, he was asked to renew it, as we can only accept complaints from members. He was advised to fill the complaint form as that would systematically reveal all the relevant details of his complaint.”
Ranganath goes on to inform that Imran re-applied for membership in mid-March and on being re-admitted, again wrote to the SWA on March 24, asking the organisation to take action against the filmmakers. An official complaint is still awaited.
“Hence, it is surprising that Dinesh and Imran claim that the SWA is ineffectual,” Ranganath says, continuing, “Being a union, the SWA doesn’t have judicial powers and can’t enforce decisions on non-members. It is only because of the credibility of our dispute intervention process that producers have honoured SWA’s decisions in the past.”
Both Cheat India and Marksheet are based on scams in the Indian education system and are expected to roll in July.
This entry was posted on October 4, 2009 at 12:14 pm, and is filed under
Bollywood News,
Cheat India,
Dinesh Gautam,
Film Writers Association,
Imran Zahid,
Marksheet,
Screenwriters Association,
Vinod Ranganath
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