Will not publish derogatory news items about Bollywood: Media house assures Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court has closed the case initiated by certain leading Bollywood producers against a media house in view of a settlement reached between the parties concerning the airing of alleged defamatory words and expression.

The media house gave an undertaking that it shall not publish or air any news item which is derogatory about the Bollywood industry as a collective and would adhere to and abide by the applicable content regulations.

Four Bollywood industry associations and 34 leading producers had filed the lawsuit in 2020 to restrain several news channels and media houses from making or publishing allegedly irresponsible, derogatory, and defamatory remarks against the film industry and conducting media trials against its members on various issues.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva accepted the undertaking given by one defendant media house and said that the "suit is decreed in favour of the plaintiff and against the defendants 16 to 19 (media house and related parties) in terms of the compromise and undertaking recorded."

"Defendants 16 to 19 undertake that they shall not publish or air any news item which is derogatory about Bollywood Industry as a collective, leading to defamation of the plaintiffs and members and office bearers of the plaintiff No. 1 to 4 and the Directors and Shareholders, Partners and Proprietors of the Plaintiff Nos. 5 to 38. Plaintiff No. 16 also undertakes that it would adhere and abide by the regulations relating to content as applicable," the court recorded in its recent order.

The lawsuit stated that it was filed in the wake of certain news channels using highly derogatory words and expressions for Bollywood such as dirt', filth', scum', druggies' and expressions such as it is Bollywood where the dirt needs to be cleaned, all the perfumes of Arabia cannot take away the stench and the stink of this filth and scum of the underbelly of Bollywood', This is the dirtiest industry in the country', and cocaine and LSD drenched Bollywood'.

The high court issued notice on the lawsuit in November 2020.

Published on: Wednesday, April 20, 2022, 05:07 PM IST