F.i.g.h.t C.l.u.b

Because its not Agyaat!

And look at the irony! The man who went out to expose the media, got himself exposed! Courtesy writer Sonal Mehta.

First, lets kill the rumours. Sonal Mehta is no journalist. Was never a journalist. All you journos get you facts right! She comes from advertising background and has experience of more than ten years. She met Ramu and assisted him on James.

What we know – Here is the way Ram Gopal Varma works. He gets an idea and tells the same idea to 3-4-5-6 writers and ask them to write story/treatment. None of the two writers get to know that they are writing the same. It doesnt happen at one go. First one writer, then second, third and so on. Sometimes they get paid, sometimes they dont. Nobody knows the reason. May be he gets bored soon. He changes writers faster than his girlfriends!

Based on the treatment notes, Ramu decides which way to go. And he would suddenly call up the 7th writer and tell him the same one line and some more ideas from one of the treatments without telling the 7th writer about other six and their notes. This is not new.

We have been following Sonal Mehta’s case quite closely and here is all the dope that we got from our journalist and writer friends.

– After James, Ramu asked Sonal to work on his one line idea of media expose and all that holier than thou gyaan. She wrote the script. Ramu liked it.

– Sonal was told that she will direct it as well.

– Sonal’s script/film was titled Break ke Baad.

– She was even working from Ramu’s office.

– When she got to know about Rann, Ramu denied it first saying that its a completely new script. She was kept in the dark.

– When she confronted him again, he offered her to direct a new film. And that was the end.

Sonal Mehta went to FWA ( Film Writers’ Association). When the matter wasn’t solved there, she went to the court. And click here to know how the case was settled. Though our sources confirm that its not 55 Lakhs but the case was settled for 20 lakhs. Thats not bad too! And coming from Ramu, who is known to pay peanuts to his writers.

But Ramu is not happy with the way the producers have settled the matter. According to the official press release, Ramu states….

I hereby want to state that the Producers – Sheetal Talwar and Madhu Mantena have taken a decision to settle the dispute with that Mehta girl without my consent. The Honorable High Court has not passed any judgement or granted any injunction in the said dispute in any parties favour. As delaying the matter could cause irreparable loss to them they have taken this step to end the matter so that they can concentrate on release issues.

This settlement should not amount to any misconception that I was involved in the discussion regarding the same. I hereby by want to make it clear that Absolutely NO Credit will be given to her with regard to the story, screenplay or whatever of RANN.

I am hereby stating that I am just the Director of the film and the script has been written solely and wholly by Rohit G. Banawlikar and that Mehta girl is nothing but a fraud and a scamster and an opportunist. I will proceed with action on her to teach her and the likes of her a strong lesson as soon as I get free from my work.

Ramu ki dhamki!! Hmm. So why did the producers went ahead and settled the case out of court ? Well, simply because her case was stronger. Here is what she had with her…

– All documents proving every kind of official communication. Sms and mail exchanges between her and Ramu/his secretary/company.

– Comparative notes showing similarities between Rann & Break ke Baad.

– Letters from actors stating that she had narrated her Break Ke Baad script to them.

– No, she had NOT signed any contract and it worked her in favor. Beacuse mostly all the contracts state that in case of any conflict, all rights belong to the producer/director. So, even without the contract, she had much stronger evidences to prove her claim.

This is surely a landmark case. And when the other party is so strong. Not everyone manages to get their dues. Any knows what happened to Sajit Warrier’s case ? That was again Ramu!

So, all you writers, make sure that you don’t fool yourself. And if you are working with Ramu, make sure that save all possible evidences. Hope it never happens to you, but you never know! And if it happens, pray that you manage to get 20 lakhs!