Digangana Suryavanshi slaps 'Show Stopper' makers with defamation notice
What's the story
Actor Digangana Suryavanshi has initiated legal proceedings against the creators of Zeenat Aman's series Show Stopper, following allegations of her "extorting money" from producers.
The director-producer of Show Stopper, Manish Harishankar, had previously accused Suryavanshi of making false promises and taking money from the team.
In retaliation, Suryavanshi has issued a defamation notice to Harishankar and lodged a police complaint under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Allegations
Suryavanshi accused makers of cheating and breach of trust
Previously, MH Films lodged a police complaint against Suryavanshi for alleged cheating and criminal breach of trust under IPC Sections 420 and 406.
The complaint alleged that Suryavanshi falsely claimed to have secured actor Akshay Kumar and his company as presenters for the project.
"She said she has personal relationships with Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, and Salman Khan, and she would be in a position to rope in such a popular actor as a presenter," the complaint read.
Defense
'Manish's narrative is his twisted imagination...'
Suryavanshi's lawyer, Rajendra Mishra, has dismissed the allegations against his client.
He stated that Suryavanshi had secured "Kumar's approval to come on board as a presenter for Show Stopper under a business deal which Manish could not honor after committing."
Mishra labeled Harishankar's narrative as a "twisted imagination" and a "cheap publicity stunt," adding that all accusations against Suryavanshi were "absolutely baseless" and an outcome of someone's criminal intention.
Defense
Lawyer explained the deal 'wrongfully' being termed as 'extortion'
Mishra further clarified the situation regarding the actor's involvement with Harishankar.
He stated, "When Manish was in a situation where he clearly couldn't help himself, he asked for help from our client and proposed a business deal where his team had executed an MOU between him and our client."
"Strangely, Manish doesn't understand that extortion doesn't happen in legal binding; it's called business."
Addressing the accusation that Digangana took money, Mishra said, "Our client hasn't taken a single penny."
Troubles
Series faced financial issues and other controversies before this
The Show Stopper series has recently been embroiled in controversy.
Reports suggest that the project, marking Aman's OTT debut, has been halted due to financial issues.
Insiders claim that actors and support staff are yet to receive their payments.
Earlier this month, MH Films also issued a defamation notice to actor Rakesh Bedi and Suryavanshi's fashion designer Krishan Parmar for allegedly making false public statements about the showmaker's unwillingness to collaborate.