Madhur Bhandarkar says film guild ‘rejected’ Dharma request for Bollywood Wives title
Madhur Bhandarkar earlier called Karan Johar and Apoorva Mehta out for using the title Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives for their Netflix reality show
Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar has lashed out at Dharma Productions for allegedly misappropriating the title Bollywood Wives that is registered with him. He took to Twitter to share a copy of a letter written by the Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association (IMPPA) to The Film and Television Producers Guild of India, on the basis of his complaint, and the response received.
Watch Bollywood Wives trailer here
Earlier, Madhur claimed that producer Karan Johar and his partner Apoorva Mehta requested him for the title Bollywood Wives for their new Netflix reality show, which he did not part with as his own project is underway. The two then slightly modified the title to Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives and went ahead with it.
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Madhur, sharing screenshots of the exchange between IMPPA and the guild, claimed that even though Dharma's request for the title was 'outrightly rejected' by the guilty, they 'blatantly tweaked and misused' it.
The IMPPA, on the basis of Madhur's complaint, had written to the guild saying, "We hereby confirm that we allotted the title 'Bollywood Wives' for feature film / Web series and Short film to M/s Bhandarkar Entertainment who have now complained that M/s Dharma Productions are violating their rights and you are therefore requested to kindly let us know if the said title is registered by you and we would be obliged for an early reply."
In its reply, the guild wrote, "With reference to your mail and the attachments therein, this is to inform you that the Guild has not registered the said title in favour of Dharma Productions."
"When 'IMPPA' asked 'Film Guild of India' whether @DharmaMovies was given the Title #BollywoodWives where Dharma is a Member. The GUILD replied that they had outrightly rejected the same. That shows Dharma have blatantly tweeked and misused our Title #BollywoodWives. Check," Madhur wrote on Twitter.
Earlier, Madhur requested Karan and Apoorva to change the title of their show, which delves into the lives of Bollywood wives Bhavana Pandey, Maheep Kapoor, Seema Khan and Neelam Kothari. "Dear @karanjohar U & @apoorvamehta18 had asked me 4 the title #BollywoodWives for web,which I refused,as my project is underway. It is Morally & ethically wrong u to tweak it to #TheFabulousLivesofBollywoodWives. Pls do not dent my project. I humbly request u to change the title," he had written.
