Sourabh Shrivastava opts out of his upcoming directorial; makers say they’re surprised by his reaction
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 11, 2018)

Writer-director Sourabh Shrivastava who was helming Prakash Jha’s daughter Disha and her friend Kanishk Gangwal’s next production, the upcoming Arshad Warsi-starrer Fraud Saiyaan, has decided to disassociate himself from the project. The director on Monday issued a statement saying he did not wish to comment on whether this version of the film was good or bad. “It was done under the supervision of a veteran filmmaker (Prakash Jha) whose work I respect immensely. But I want to state that this is not my film anymore. This was not the script I pitched and we had agreed on,” he asserted.

When Mirror contacted Shrivastava, he confirmed that he does not wish to be credited as the director of the film which has been in the making for four years now. “The production house got in touch with me a few days ago saying the film was ready for release. I requested the producer over text message to please remove my name from the credits. The edit is not mine, the background music was not approved by me, there are so many issues since I was side-lined from it,” he maintained, quick to add, “I don’t want to create any controversy because that will affect my career.”

When prodded, he admitted that it was not an easy decision to make after completing the entire shoot. “But after the first edit, I wasn’t aware of what was happening with the film. I was not on set when a new song (“Chamma Chamma” remake featuring Elli AvrRam) was shot. I watched a show three-four days ago. I would not like to comment on what I thought of it, all I’m saying is that this is not my film,” he reiterated, adding that he hopes his next film will happen soon.

Jha, when contacted, informed that he was at a shoot in Jharkhand. Disha Prakash Jha and Kanishk Gangwal said they were surprised with Sourabh’s reaction. “We are very surprised at Sourabh’s comments because he has been the maker of the film and has done a good job. The film has shaped up really well. We are happy with the final product. All the technicians, writers and everyone associated with the film is busy promoting the film and looking forward to the release. We have no idea why he wants to disassociate himself from his own hard work,” they told Mirror.

The film’s story revolves around Arshad’s character who has 13 wives and multiple affairs which gets him into scraps with the law. Jha had earlier informed that the idea came from Disha and Kanishk, and is inspired by a real-life fraudster. “It’s a fun-filled con-caper set in the Varanasi, Mathura, Raisen, Bhopal belt with Arshad as a guy who very early in life realises that he can make gullible young women fall in love with him and with the promise of marriage, on occasions even taking the pheras with them, can use them to support his lifestyle without the daily grind of a job,” he’d added. 

With the ruling that adultery is no longer a criminal offence, Prakash Jha’s con-man can now get away with an affair or two with married women
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 13, 2018)

Prakash Jha’s upcoming comedy, Fraud Saiyyan, revolves around a fraudster who has turned marriage into a business. “He has 13 wives and multiple affairs which gets him into scraps with the law,” informs the National-Award winning director, adding that the idea came from his daughter Disha and her friend Kanishk Gangwal, and is inspired by a real-life fraudster who wed seven women in different towns and cities, none of them aware of the others.

“It’s a fun-filled con-caper set in the Varanasi, Mathura, Raisen, Bhopal belt with Arshad (Warsi) as a guy who very early in life realizes that he can make gullible young women fall in love with him and with the promise of marriage, on occasions even taking the pheras with them, can use them to support his lifestyle without the daily grind of a job.”

Naturally his choice of profession, gets him into a lot of problems. For instance, if the woman he is pursuing is already married, her aggrieved spouse can turn up on his doorstep with a cop in tow and threaten to have him thrown behind bars. “But now, thanks to a recent Supreme Court ruling, he cannot be arrested nor can criminal charges be pressed against him. This ruling has unknowingly come to the rescue of our protagonist though eventually he will have to face the consequences of his actions,” admits the veteran filmmaker.

According to a recent Supreme Court ruling, adultery is no longer a criminal offence. On September 26, a five-judge bench struck down Section 497 of the IPC and Section 198 of CrPC dealing with prosecution of offences against marriage, arguing that Section 497 is manifestly arbitrary in the way it deals with women and is destructive to their dignity and selfrespect. Then CJI Dipak Misra who headed the bench contended that adultery can be ground for civil issues including dissolution of marriage but it is not a criminal offence. Quiz him on his take on the judgement, and Prakash points out that the judiciary must have been taking into account that if a relationship is consensual, it cannot be deemed a criminal act.

In the past, his films, from the cop drama Gangaajal to the women-centric Lipstick Under My Burkha, had faced a censor roadblock. Given its controversial content, does he anticipate any trouble for this slice-of-life-comedy from the CBFC? “No, I don’t because there’s nothing derogatory in the film,” he says firmly.