India’s Sahara group is seeking legal action

SCAM SEASON THREE-EAT

UPDATE: Sahara India Pariwarthe company founded by the late Subrata Roy, has hit back after SonyLIV and Applause Entertainment announced a series on him.

“The makers of ‘Scam’ have demonstrated an insulting and grossly objectionable act to gain cheap and wide publicity by announcing the unveiling of ‘Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga’. Sahara India Pariwar condemns such acts by all individuals and parties involved and will oppose their offensive behavior. In this regard, the aggrieved members seek guidance to take appropriate legal action against the producer, director and all those involved in making the illegal rendition,” said a statement shared with Variety by Sahara India Pariwar.

“Sahara India Pariwar believes that the dispute between SEBI [Securities and Exchange Board of India] and Sahara is still pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court and any attempt to influence the proceedings
of the said case will attract contempt of court, furthermore, such acts amount to criminality. No one should, under the guise of the right to freedom of speech and expression, undermine the goodwill and reputation of someone who is unavailable to defend themselves. The use of the word ‘scam’ in the title of the so-called web series and linking it to Sahara seems prima facie defamatory and tends to degrade the image and reputation of Saharasri Ji. [Subrata Roy] and Sahara India Pariwar. Sahara India Pariwar has never been involved in any chit fund activity. Even the Sahara-SEBI issue was a dispute over SEBI’s jurisdiction over OFCD [Optionally Fully Convertible Debentures] bonds issued by Sahara,” the statement said.

Applause made no comment when contacted by Variety. Variety has contacted SonyLIV for comment.

EARLIER: Pennant SonyLIVfilmmaker Hansal Mehta and studio Applause Entertainment have teamed up again for “Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga.” Based on the book “Sahara: the Untold Story” by Tamal Bandyopadhyay, the series tells the story of a businessman Subrata Roy of the Sahara India Pariwar which is active in the financial services, construction, real estate, sports, manufacturing, hospitality, media and life insurance sectors. In the early 2000s, Roy was charged with several financial crimes, leading to his arrest in 2014. He died in 2023.

“Scam 2010” is the third in a franchise about Indian financial scandals that started with “Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story” and “Scam 2003: The Telgi Story.” Mehta will direct and Applause will co-produce Studio NexT.

Sameer Nair, MD, Applause Entertainment, said: “The ‘Scam’ series has become more than just a show; it’s a pop cultural phenomenon. With Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga, we are ready to raise the bar even higher and offer audiences an immersive journey into the life and times of one of the most daring and ambitious minds in Indian business history. Mehta added, “’Scam’ is not just a franchise for me. It is a chronicle of our times.”

Danish Khanexecutive VP and business head, SonyLIV and StudioNext at Sony Pictures Networks India, said, “The series has consistently been the most-watched franchise on Sony LIV and we are confident that the third edition will set newer benchmarks in immersive storytelling. “

HEAVEN DRAMA

Alfie Allen, Shazad Latif and Samira Wiley are set to star in a new Sky Original drama called ‘Atomic’.

The five-part show from Pulse Films (“Gangs of London”) follows a drug trafficker named Max who works in the Middle East. Eventually he meets Mohammed, who is being hunted by a number of mysterious men with CIA agent Cassie hot on their trail. “Desperate for redemption, their paths converge in the Libyan desert as they are drawn into a nefarious Venezuelan cartel’s plot to transport uranium that could power an atomic bomb,” the long line reads.

The series is inspired by William Langewiesche’s “Atomic Bazaar” and adapted by Gregory Burke. Shariff Korver directs.

BIFAN WELCOMES AI

The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan) has launched an award category for films made with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, according to the organizers. Because a human jury will judge the winners, the competition aims to judge films not only based on the AI ​​technology used, but also on their artistic merit and significance. There will also be a conference on the relationship between film and new technology.

“We want to provide information and experiences to creators who may not have access to large production budgets, allowing them to create films on minimal budgets using AI technology,” says festival director Shin Chul said.