A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Karnataka High Court seeking a stay on the upcoming Hindi movie Good Newwz which stars Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor Khan in lead roles. The vacation bench of the high court is likely to hear the petition on December 27, the day the movie is set to release across the country.
The PIL was filed by Mir Sameem Raza, President of a Mysuru-based NGO called Yes Trust. The petition claims that the movie is misdirecting people into believing that private In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) centres are not trustworthy, with higher chances of semen mix-up in assisted pregnancies.
“The movie is about two childless couples, who come for IVF treatment, and the sperms get exchanged. This is bound to create a lot of confusion and uncertainty about the credibility of IVF treatment itself. As childless couples are already under immense social and psychological pressure, this may further cause emotional disturbance for them,” the petition reads.
The petition also states that the film endorses Indira IVF, a company which has been in the business of assisted pregnancies.
“The lead actors of this film are endorsing that this type of mix-up does not happen at Indira IVF Center, which creates doubts in the minds of people about the credibility of other IVF treatment centres across India. The petitioner has absolutely no reservation for somebody making an effort to increase the credibility of Indira IVF but not at the cost of the others in the field. This is the wrong type of product placement,” the petition adds.
The petitioner has also named the Central Board of Film Certification as a respondent and has questioned why the CBFC certified such a film for release.
The vacation bench of the Karnataka High Court is set to decide whether the stay should be granted or not on Friday. Speaking to TNM, Mir Sameem Raza said, "It may be a fictional movie. But the plot is evident that there is a sperm mix up. By endorsing only one IVF centre, it is indirectly saying that mix-ups happen a lot in other IVF centres. Hence, we have petitioned for a stay," he said.
Apart from Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor Khan, Good Newwz also stars Kiara Advani and Diljit Dosanjh. Directed by Raj Mehta, the comedy-drama is scheduled to release on December 27.