Pirated copy of ‘Raajneeti’

Asking how "lawmakers could be lawbreakers", director Prakash Jha is contemplating legal action against BJP legislators in Rajasthan who watched a pirated DVD of his film ‘Raajneeti’ while they were locked up in a hotel ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls.

Fearing cross voting in the Rajya Sabha polls June 17, the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has put up all its 79 legislators in the hotel to prevent horse trading and defections.

"There was fear that the MLAs may not vote for Ram Jethmalani, whom they consider an outsider, so the party decided to huddle them up together and place them in a hotel. This would mean that the chances of horse trading or defection becomes negligible," a BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.

On June 17, the legislators would be taken directly to the state assembly for voting.

While the politics of the move are worked out, filmmaker Jha is furious that the legislators watched a pirated version of his latest film.

"We are contemplating legal action against illegal screening of the film," Jha said. "This is really bad. How can lawmakers be lawbreakers?"

"We in the film industry are really disturbed that a film which has just been released is being screened in such an illegal manner… We are seeking legal advice and would certainly take appropriate action against the hotel and the people who have seen the film in this manner."