Prakash Jha gets legal notice

Mumbai: Filmmaker Prakash Jha has received a legal notice from the Birla group of companies over the controversial lyrics of a song from his upcoming film "Chakravyuh" and insists he did not intend to disrespect anyone.

"Yes. We have received a legal notice from them. Since it's a legal matter, our legal team is looking into it. We will reply to them," Jha told PTI.

The lyrics of the song goes, 'Birla ho ya Tata, Ambani ho ya Bata, Sabne apne chakkar mein des ko hai kaata. Are humre hi khoon se inka engine chale dhakadhak' (Be it Birla or Tata, Ambani or Bata, everyone has exploited the nation for their own benefits; their engine runs on our blood).

Objecting to putting their name in bad light, the Birlas had sent a legal notice to Jha.

The Censor Board has cleared the song after Jha agreed to carry a disclaimer. The board had also objected to the use of names like Tata, Birla and Ambani in the song as it felt it was a personal attack on the country's top industrialists.

Jha, however, said that names of Birla-Tata have been used in a song earlier as well. "Earlier in the 1978 film "Heeralaal Pannalaal" there was a song 'Sidhe Raste Chaloge To' also had lyrics on 'Tata, Bata' company," he said.

"We have generically used the names in the song. We do not intend to hurt, disrespect or harm anyone. We have also carried the disclaimer," he said.

"Chakravyuh" releases on October 24.