The Mumbai unit of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has sent a note to the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association and the Indian Film Directors Association asking them to get in touch with the party before they make any film on either BSP founder Kanshi Ram or UP Chief Minister Mayawati.

“Anybody who is producing/directing films/biopic on either Behan Kumari Mayawatiji and Manyawar Kanshiramji, must get in touch with us immediately for they claim that they have taken permission from Behenji which is not to the knowledge of Behenji or the BSP,” the letter states.

The letter also mentions that “the Chief Minister does not want any filmmaker to face any difficulty at the time of the release of their films” as no permission from the CM’s office or the BSP’s office has been issued in this connection.” Confirming the letter, party leader Tarun Rathi in Mumbai told The Indian Express that it “was incorrect to film the life of a person without his/her consent”.

Copies of the letter have also been sent to Western India Film Producers Association and the Association of Motion Pictures & TV Programme Producers.

On February 22, the UP government had taken a strict stand against Mumbai-based film-maker Iqbal Attarwala who claimed he had made a film based on the life of Mayawati.

A clarification was issued by the CM’s office saying: “Neither as the Chief Minister of the state nor in the capacity of party president, Mayawati had granted permission to any person or organisation to make film on her.”

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