Netflix ‘Sacred Games’ Defaming Rajiv Gandhi? Delhi HC Says Actors Not Responsible For Dialogues, Asks If Plea Can Be Heard As PIL

The Delhi High Court on Monday said actors cannot be held responsible for dialogues or enacting their character while seeking to know if a plea seeking deletion of certain scenes from Netflix show ‘ Sacred Games ’ for being derogatory to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi could be heard as a PIL.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar sought to know from the petitioner if the petition could be held maintainable as PIL.

Petitioner Nikhil Bhalla had moved high court seeking deletion of certain scenes from Netflix show ‘ Sacred Games ’ starring Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui claiming that were derogatory to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The bench also held that there was nothing urgent in the petition as eight episodes of the series have already been aired.

The petition said Rajiv Gandhi is sought to be defamed in the name of artistic freedom in the series.

The show was released on July 6 in 190 countries.

“The show has inappropriate dialogues, political attacks and even speeches which are derogatory in nature and harms the reputation of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi,” stated the petition filed through advocates Shashank Garg and Tariq Khan.

It also contended that the show accuses Rajiv Gandhi of being involved in Bofors scam and incorrectly depicts historical events of the country like the Bofors case, Shah Bano case, Babri Masjid case and communal riots, which is maligning the reputation of Rajiv Gandhi and his descendants and defames them intentionally.

It will now come up for hearing on July 19.