Four witnesses deny argument between Ness and Priety
Four more witnesses listed by industrialist Ness Wadia, accused of molesting, abusing Bollywood actress Preity Zinta during an Indian Premiere League match on May 30 at Wankhede Stadium, have testified before the investigators, denying any arguments between the estranged couple, the police said on Thursday.
The statements of four more witnesses -- Rustom Lawyer, his wife Gia Lawyer, Nicholas Chen and Saumitra Srivastava, who were present in the stadium on May 30, were recorded yesterday, an officer at Marine Drive police station said.
None of the four corroborated Zinta's claims that Wadia had misbehaved with her before abusing and threatening her on the fateful day, the police said. According to the police, witness Lawyer, a senior corporate professional, said, "During the match, Ness went up to Preity and had a short conversation with her. Then we (Lawyer and his wife Gia) saw Ness walk away and we could not hear the conversation due to the loud noise in the stadium.
Neither Ness nor Preity seemed upset after their brief conversation and continued watching the match and cheering for their team. Not at any moment did anything appear out of the ordinary."
Gia's testimony was also on the lines of her husband and denied having seen any sort of disagreement or heated exchange of words between Preity and Ness, the officer said.
Businessman Nicholas claimed, "Never during the conversation between the two, did I see Ness abuse, shout and touch or grab Zinta's hand. Saumitra, a city based management consultant who also arrived at the stadium and was searching for a seat, told the police, "I noticed Ness with his family standing at the back since their seats were occupied and they too had nowhere to sit.
After some time, I noticed him (Ness) at the front row having a conversation with Preity. I could not hear what they said nor it looked anything more than a normal conversation, so I didn't pay any attention."
In her police complaint registered in June, Zinta had accused her former boyfriend of molesting, abusing and threatening her during an IPL match between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings on May 30 at Wankhede Stadium in South Mumbai.
However, Ness has dismissed the actor's charges. He is yet to be summoned by the investigators. Despite their break-up, Wadia and Zinta continue to co-own Kings XI Punjab.
Among those whose statements has been recorded are IPL Chief Operating Officer Sundar Raman, BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel and COO of Kings XI Punjab Fraser Castellino.
Witnesses Danish Merchant, Jai Kanojia and Parul Khanna have told the police that Wadia had 'pulled' Zinta by hand during a 'heated' argument, while Castellino said he did not see any fight or argument between the two.
Ness had given a list of witnesses and requested the police to record their statements. Farah
Oomerbhoy, listed by Ness, had said in her statement that there was no heated argument between the two and she did not see him pulling Zinta by her arm on the day of the alleged incident.
However, Savan Daru, a businessman, had claimed before the police that Zinta had hurled hard words at the Wadia group's scion.
After Jiah Khan, another Bollywood actress commits suicide in Mumbai
Sept 4: After Jiah Khan, another struggling Bollywood actress -- Saiyyam Khanna committed suicide. Her body has been discovered from her residence in Mumbai. Her body was found hanging from a ceiling fan of her room. Her sister Riya Khanna first noticed her body, informed police sources. Saiyyam, who was a struggling actress, had worked in Bollywood films such as 'The Haunted House'. Her another film 'The Last Horror' was scheduled to be released soon. According to her sister's statement, the actress had asked Riya not to disturb Saiyyam as she was taking rest in her room. The actress also had expressed her love for her sister and family, informed the sources. Riya had gone to market and after returning home, she did not disturb Saiyyam as she thought her sister was sleeping. However, when she entered her room, she found Saiyyam hanging from the ceiling fan.
Demand to remove 'virgin' from film invalid: Deepika Padukone
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has objected to the use of the word "virgin" in one of the dialogues of "Finding Fanny". The film's lead actress Deepika Padukone slams the censor board saying its guidelines are inconsistent.
"I don't think their request is valid. I believe that there is no system to this. Every six months the rules keep changing... There is no consistency to what is being said and done," the 28-year-old said here Wednesday on the sets of reality show "Cine Stars Ki Khoj".
She feels while judging a film, it's important to see everything in the context of a particular scene or a film.
"They should see it in the context of the scene and the film, you can't just pick put one word and say, 'Oh, we are not allowing this word.'
"Secondly, give us a reason why you are not allowing us to show certain things. But they are the final authority and we will accept what they say," Deepika added.
Directed by Homi Adajania, "Finding Fanny", is an English language film which also has veterans like Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur and Naseeruddin Shah in the cast. It is releasing Sep 12.
Arjun Kapoor, the film's male lead, feels the audience's views should be given importance.
"Censorship is for the audience and if they (censor board) realise that the audience does not find anything wrong with something, I hope they can change their minds so that we can make films for the audience..." Arjun said.
"We are making films for the audience and it's not like we enjoy saying certain things. In her character's context, it is very important whatever she says. We should get a consistent platform before we face the censors," he added.
She feels while judging a film, it's important to see everything in the context of a particular scene or a film.
"They should see it in the context of the scene and the film, you can't just pick put one word and say, 'Oh, we are not allowing this word.'
"Secondly, give us a reason why you are not allowing us to show certain things. But they are the final authority and we will accept what they say," Deepika added.
Directed by Homi Adajania, "Finding Fanny", is an English language film which also has veterans like Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur and Naseeruddin Shah in the cast. It is releasing Sep 12.
Arjun Kapoor, the film's male lead, feels the audience's views should be given importance.
"Censorship is for the audience and if they (censor board) realise that the audience does not find anything wrong with something, I hope they can change their minds so that we can make films for the audience..." Arjun said.
"We are making films for the audience and it's not like we enjoy saying certain things. In her character's context, it is very important whatever she says. We should get a consistent platform before we face the censors," he added.
'Rituparno Ghosh's films dated, old-fashioned: Anjan Dutt
Popular Bengali singer-songwriter Anjan Dutt, who starred in Rituparno Ghosh's "Chitrangada", said though the maestro's films "boldly portrayed" the alternative gender for the first time in Indian cinema, he found his work "dated" and "old-fashioned".
Maker of several acclaimed and award winning films, Ghosh died May 30, last year, following a heart attack.
At an event organised by the Weavers Studio Centre For the Arts Wednesday in commemoration of Ghosh's 52nd birth anniversary Aug 31, Dutt, also a well known director and actor, criticised the late filmmaker for not breaking away from structured women-centric cinema.
"Though Rituparno's films were shown to be instrumental in bringing back the bulk of middle class audience to the theatre in mid-1990s, I personally found his films dated and old-fashioned compared to those of Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Aparna Sen or early Goutam Ghose.
"He never managed to break away from the structured and thematic tradition of so-called women-centric cinema which were made well before him. He was a definitely well read and intelligent man but hugely overrated by the media," Dutt said.
Though Dutt remarked that the "bulk of Ghosh's work never challenged or provoked" him, he lauded the late filmmaker's films centred on the other sex as "rebellious chapter of Bengali cinema."
Some of the critically acclaimed films of the National Film Award winning director include "Raincoat", "Antar Mahal", "Shob Choritro Kalponik" and "Chokher Bali".
The versatile genius acted in films like "Chitrangada", "Arekti Premer Golpo" and "Memories in March."
"I was not only astonished at his unabashed performance but the sheer facet that this man has managed to come out of the closet," Dutt said about "Arekti Premer Galpo".
"His cinema was a rebellious chapter in Bengali cinema. For the first time in Indian cinema the other or alternative sex found bold portrayal.
"In an otherwise extremely repressed sexual environment that is India here was a filmmaker very decidedly fronting his transsexual self and discussing gay issues and he was doing it with such grace and sensitivity that you had no choice but to respect these movies. Never for once these films verged into sentimentalism or sensationalism," he said.
At an event organised by the Weavers Studio Centre For the Arts Wednesday in commemoration of Ghosh's 52nd birth anniversary Aug 31, Dutt, also a well known director and actor, criticised the late filmmaker for not breaking away from structured women-centric cinema.
"Though Rituparno's films were shown to be instrumental in bringing back the bulk of middle class audience to the theatre in mid-1990s, I personally found his films dated and old-fashioned compared to those of Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Aparna Sen or early Goutam Ghose.
"He never managed to break away from the structured and thematic tradition of so-called women-centric cinema which were made well before him. He was a definitely well read and intelligent man but hugely overrated by the media," Dutt said.
Though Dutt remarked that the "bulk of Ghosh's work never challenged or provoked" him, he lauded the late filmmaker's films centred on the other sex as "rebellious chapter of Bengali cinema."
Some of the critically acclaimed films of the National Film Award winning director include "Raincoat", "Antar Mahal", "Shob Choritro Kalponik" and "Chokher Bali".
The versatile genius acted in films like "Chitrangada", "Arekti Premer Golpo" and "Memories in March."
"I was not only astonished at his unabashed performance but the sheer facet that this man has managed to come out of the closet," Dutt said about "Arekti Premer Galpo".
"His cinema was a rebellious chapter in Bengali cinema. For the first time in Indian cinema the other or alternative sex found bold portrayal.
"In an otherwise extremely repressed sexual environment that is India here was a filmmaker very decidedly fronting his transsexual self and discussing gay issues and he was doing it with such grace and sensitivity that you had no choice but to respect these movies. Never for once these films verged into sentimentalism or sensationalism," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment