TIRUPATI: A legal notice has been served to a film actor, producer, and production house Niharika Entertainments in Chennai of Tamil Nadu, regarding an upcoming film that allegedly uses a remixed version of the devotional song ‘Srinivasa Govinda - Govinda Hari Govinda’ in a manner that has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Hindu devotees.
The notice was issued by G Bhanuprakash Reddy, a devout follower of Lord Venkateswara and a member of the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board, through his advocate Kotthapalli Ajay Kumar from Tirupati.
After viewing the promotional song on YouTube, Bhanuprakash Reddy was shocked by the alleged remixing of the devotional song with western music, stating it could incite disharmony and cause significant distress within the Hindu community. The legal representative argues that the film production has no right, title, or interest to misuse the lyrics of a devotional song and is liable for damages for the act of defamation and hurting the client’s religious feelings.
According to the notice, the production house’s actions are considered defamatory as they have lowered the reputation of a particular group of people, in this case, Hindu devotees, through a statement or action.
The notice demands an unconditional apology for the alleged act of defamation and a complete deletion of the song and its lyrics from the film, social media, and all other platforms.
Failure to comply with these demands will result in the client initiating necessary legal proceedings, including filing a complaint with the Censor Board in New Delhi for immediate action.
This is in line with the principles of defamation law, which aims to protect individuals and groups from statements that can harm their reputation. The notice has been addressed to Neelamegam Santhanam, the Cine Actor and Director of the film, Niharika Entertainments, the production house, and also to Neelamegam Santhanam in his capacity at a separate address.