"Good Newwz" in legal soup, PIL filed

Akshay Kumar's new release "Good Newwz" is facing bad news upon release. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed against the film in Karnataka High Court seeking stay on its release, over the subject matter.

In the film, it has been shown that two couples, both having the surname ‘Batra' opt for IVF assistance to have a child at a private clinic. However, the clinic accidentally interchanges the sperms, which leads to confusion.

A Mysuru-based NGO has raised objection over the film's subject, as reported by The News Minute. Mir Sameem Raza, president of an NGO called Yes Trust has filed the PIL. The petition alleges that the film's subject is misguiding because it might lead the audiences to believe that In-Vitro fertilisation (IVF) centres often make such mistakes, which in turn can negatively impact their business.

The PIL alleges that the movie is "misdirecting people", and seeks a stay on the film's release. However, the film has already hit theatres today although High Court is likely to hear the case today.

The petition reads: "The movie is about two childless couples, who come for IVF treatment, and the sperms get exchanged. This is bound to create a lot of confusion and uncertainty about the credibility of IVF treatment itself. As childless couples are already under immense social and psychological pressure, this may further cause emotional disturbance for them."

"The lead actors of this film are endorsing that this type of mix-up does not happen at Indira IVF Center, which creates doubts in the minds of people about the credibility of other IVF treatment centres across India. The petitioner has absolutely no reservation for somebody making an effort to increase the credibility of Indira IVF but not at the cost of the others in the field. This is the wrong type of product placement," the petition further reads.

"It may be a fictional movie. But the plot is evident that there is a sperm mix up. By endorsing only one IVF centre, it is indirectly saying that mix-ups happen a lot in other IVF centres. Hence, we have petitioned for a stay," petitioner Mir Sameem Raza told The News Minute.

The petitioner has also questioned how the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has okayed such a film for release.

During a promotional interaction ahead of the film's release, Akshay Kumar was asked how careful the makers have been while dealing with a serious subject like IVF in a comedy. The actor had at that time replied: "We have been very careful, exactly how we were in 'Toilet (Ek Prem Katha)'. We have been very careful while dealing with it. Such a thing (exchange of sperm by mistake) has happened in reality. It has happened in several places. I feel it is a very important subject to tell people about, especially for women and families who cannot have children. Since IVF has been discovered, almost eight million babies have been born through IVF across the world. There is a success rate of 92 percent in this."

"Good Newwz" has been directed by Raj Mehta. The film stars Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kiara Advani and Diljit Dosanjh in the lead.

Tags: Cinema, Showbiz, Bollywood