Girgit movie row: Parties submit joint memo

Makers of Tulu movie ‘Girgit’ and members of the Mangalore Bar Association have submitted a joint memorandum to the court to settle the case mutually.

H V Raghavendra, Association general secretary, told reporters on Tuesday that the Association will withdraw the case after the movie makers comply with the order to mute the dialogue and delete a few scenes in the movie.

“The film ‘Girgit’ has ridiculed advocates and the court with cheap humour. The moviemakers have convinced us that it was not intentional,” he added.

On Monday, the joint memo was submitted to the court to settle the case at the earliest, with the moviemakers promising to mute and delete the objectionable parts.

“We are not against movies and artistes. We want the Tulu film industry to grow. But some scenes and dialogues in hurt us. Otherwise, we have no problem with the movie,” Raghavendra clarified. “We want the movie to run for 100 days successfully.”

Further, he said that the Association has filed a complaint with Mangaluru Police seeking action against persons who have put derogatory posts on social media mocking the Association. “Already, the police have arrested two persons. Two Facebook accounts have also been blocked, following the complaint. The Association has urged the police to arrest the admin of these Facebook accounts. Our fight against derogatory messages on social media will continue,” the general secretary stated.

Director and lead actor Roopesh Shetty said that the scenes in question were a part of the entertainment in the film. “It is purely for entertainment. The characters are totally fictional. There was no intention to defame or mock anyone. Our representatives applied to the Central Board of Film Certification on Tuesday, seeking permission to mute the dialogue and cut a few scenes. Based on the permission from the CBFC, we will take measures to mute the dialogue and cut the scenes. It will take 30 to 40 days to cut the scenes. The muting of the dialogue will be done by Monday,” he promised.

On the derogatory comments made against the Bar Association, Roopesh appealed to the public to desist from such hate messages.

Roopesh, on September 13, had appeared before the court and filed a statement apologising for the objectionable scenes. He had even agreed to abide by all conditions, including editing the scenes.