Manoj Bajpayee opens up about receiving legal notice from Asaram Bapu for his film ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’
Manoj Bajpayee will be seen in upcoming legal drama Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’ which is set to stream on Zee5 from 23 May. But before the film’s release it got caught in a controversy when the film got a legal notice from by self-styled godman Asaram, sentenced to life for sexually exploiting a minor, to ban the film accusing the makers that they are basing the villain in the film on Asaram. The Sant Shri Asaramji Ashram Charitable Trust alleged that the trailer of the film is “highly objectionable and defamatory”.
Also Read: Makers of ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’ face legal notice from Asaram Bapu
Now Manoj Bajpayee has responded to this accusation in a recent interview with Press Trust Of India. Speaking to PTI, Manoj Bajpayee said, “The case is already in the public domain, and the verdict is out We have to be truthful to all those incidents that have happened. Also, in our film, the most important thing is how well we treat the victim.”
The actor further revealed that the actor playing the role of a minor in ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’ is also a minor and that they were very careful about how they approached the story. “We had to be very sensitive to the girl who gathered courage to fight the big ones. And for five years give testimony and evidence, and say her side of the story without fearing humiliation, without fearing for her life… Also, we had to be sensitive not only to the character but also the actor who is playing the role. She herself is 15-16 years old, and she has given a remarkable performance.”
The film’s plot centres around a court battle between a lawyer, P.C Solanki, played by Manoj Bajpayee, and a Godman accused of raping a 16-year-old minor girl. For the unversed, Asaram is currently serving a life sentence in a Jodhpur jail for raping a minor girl.
Helmed by debutant director Apoorv Singh Karki, ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’ also stars Surya Mohan Kulshrestha, Nikhil Pandey, Priyanka Setia, Adrija, Durga Sharma and Jaihind Kumar. The film is produced by Vinod Bhanushali, Kamlesh Bhanushali, Asif Sheikh & Vishal Gurnani and co-produced by Juhi Parekh Mehta.
