An ambitious biopic of poet-lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi has hit a roadblock. The family of iconic poet-novelist Amrita Pritam, who he shared a long relationship with has sent out legal notices to the producer and director of the film, Ashi Dua and Jasmeen Reen respectively on August 2, asking them not to proceed with the project. The proposed film “hurts the sentiments of the family” and is also a violation of the copyrights to Pritam’s autobiography Rasidi Ticket, that remain with the family, said Aman Kwatra, her grandson. However, it is not the first time the family took such a step. The first round of legal notices were sent in November, 2013. The producer and director approached Pritam’s family in June 2013 seeking to buy the rights of her autobiography for the film, claims Kwatra. He and his sister Shilpa met the producer and the director in Mumbai later that year. After a couple of meetings, the family “expressed their unwillingness to give permission for the film”. But in July, 2014, news reports said the film was very much on, with Irrfan and Priyanka Chopra in the lead roles. While the producer and the director have remained mum on the project, Irrfan confirmed it in a report that he is playing Sahir in the biopic. “It is extremely disheartening to see that producer Ashi Dua has completely disregarded the feelings of our family. Imrozji, her partner, believes that the simple life that my grandmother led will be unjustly glamourised and fictionalised in a feature film,” said Kwatra. Even if a fictionalised film is made, without naming Pritam, “it would be impossible to make a film on Sahir and keep his grandmother out of it”, he added. The family has also sent a copy of the notice to actors Irrfan and Priyanka Chopra. When contacted, neither Dua nor Reen responded.
