BJP leader Subramanian Swamy sues Akshay Kumar over 'Ram Setu'
What's the story
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has accused actor Akshay Kumar of "distorting the Ram Setu" saga through his upcoming film Ram Setu and slapped him with a legal notice. The former Union minister shared the update on social media on Sunday. To recall, Swamy threatened to sue Kumar back in July, too. Directed by Abhishek Sharma, Ram Setu is slated to hit theaters around Diwali.
Context
Why does this story matter?
At a time when Bollywood is reeling under constant calls for the boycott of films and is trudging at the box office, too, this news may further put a dent in its business. Moreover, Ram Setu is instrumental for Akshay Kumar after a series of duds and is expected to appeal to a large section of the audience since it's based on "Hindu mythology."
Tweet
Swamy has sent legal notice to Kumar, eight others
On Sunday, Swamy took to Twitter to accuse "Mumbai cinema [sin-e-ma]" of "falsifying and misappropriation." He further wrote, "Hence to teach them Intellectual Property Rights, I have through Satya Sabharwal [Advocate] issued legal notice to cine actor Akshay Kumar (Bhatia) and eight others for distorting Ram Setu saga (sic)." Swamy's tweet has already been "liked" nearly 6,000 times (at the time of writing).
Twitter Post
Take a look at Swamy's tweet and the responses here
Mumbai cinema [or is it sin-e-ma] wallas have a bad habit of falsifying and misappropriation. Hence to teach them Intellectual Property Rights, I have through Satya Sabharwal Adv issued Legal Notice to Cine Actor Akshay Kumar(Bhatia) and his 8 others for distorting Ram Setu saga.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) August 28, 2022
Reactions
Swamy has already started receiving support on social media
Swamy's tweet has triggered a lot of support from his followers, and several netizens even thanked him for "showing Bollywood its place." One such Twitter user wrote, "These actors need to be taught a strict lesson so that they don't dare to play with our sentiments yet again and mend our history facts." Another netizen implored Swamy to "look at other similar movies, too."
Quick recap
Swamy previously targeted Kumar for his Canadian citizenship
In July, too, Swamy threatened to sue Kumar for alleged "falsification" in portraying the Ram Setu issue. In addition to that, he took shots at the 54-year-old and wrote, "If actor Akshay Kumar is a foreign citizen then we can ask he be arrested and evicted his adopted country (sic)." For the unversed, Kumar has Canadian citizenship and has been frequently targeted for it.
Twitter Post
Swamy's July tweet on the same matter
The suit for compensation has been finalised by my associate Satya Sabharwal Adv. I am suing Akshay Kumar, actor Karma Media for damages cause by falsification in portrayal of the Ram Setu issue in their film for release.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) July 29, 2022
Information
Here's all you need to know about 'Ram Setu'
Meanwhile, Kumar and the rest of the team finished shooting for Ram Setu in January this year, and prominent scenes were shot in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Kumar—for the first time in his career—will be seen essaying the role of an archaeologist who tries to unearth whether Ram Setu is a reality or a mere fabrication. The adventure drama co-stars Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha.