MUMBAI, Jan 28: Editor of film trade magazine Film Information, Komal Nahata, has alleged that he received death threats for writing an unfavourable review of the film Hu Tu Tu. The threats had come from Pravin Shah, brother of Dhirubhai Shah and one of the producers of the film directed by Gulzar.Pravin Shah was summoned to the Khar police station this evening. Speaking to Express Newsline, Rakesh Maria, Additional Commissioner of Police (north-west), stated that Nahata had met him on Wednesday with his complaint. ``It is difficult to say what has happened, since we are still in the process of investigations statements are being recorded,'' said Maria.
According to Nahata, the threats started coming from January 26 when Pradeep Singh, the Thane-based distributor of the film, abused him for writing what he called a `poor' review. He agreed that he had written a `not so flattering' review in the trade paper. ``Except for Maharashtra I don't think the film will do well in any other territoryof the country,'' he told Newsline adding that the film was being pulled off the theatres in Hyderabad after the poor responses in the beginning. ``If they plan to kill me for writing a bad review, I wonder what they would do to the distributor who is withdrawing the film,'' he said.
However, a spokesperson for the producers, called the accusation `baseless'. He further stated that any review good or bad of any film makes no difference to the makers as the films are simultaneously released all over the country. In a fax message to Newsline, he contended that the claims of threats were fabricated further claiming that the film is raking in `100 per cent collection and above 90 per cent in Mumbai and Thane' respectively.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.