Mumbai: Dilip Prabhavalkar, who played Gandhiji in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Lage Raho Munnabhai, filed a complaint against a Volvo bus conductor for showing a pirated version of the film.
The actor boarded the Volvo (MH09 L7326), belonging to Konduskar Travels, at 10:30am near Law College, Pune, on Sunday.
“Fifteen minutes later, they started screening the movie,” he said. “As Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s name appeared, I thought it was one of his earlier flicks. When I realised they were screening Lage Raho..., I was shocked.”
“The print being shown was clearly not the original,” he said. “Scenes were cut, there were sounds of people laughing and talking. It was illegally shot in a hall.”
Prabhavalkar, a well-known stage actor, contacted Chopra’s production house in Santa Cruz to tell them of the incident.
Executive producer Anil Dawda said, “After Prabhavalkar called us, we contacted police and United Copyright Protection Association (a private anti-piracy company).”
Chopra’s office kept in touch with Prabhavalkar. When the bus entered the city at 2:30pm, a team of policemen and the anti-piracy squad were waiting.
Senior Inspector AB Deshpande of the Matunga police station said, “We have booked the conductor, Rajan Bhonsale, under sections 53, 63, 68 of the Copyright Act. He has admitted to buying the pirated print from DN Road.”
Chopra said, “Action should be taken against the pirates and cable operators who acquired the CD.”
