Producer files suit against Ram Gopal Verma

Mumbai: Producer Shareef Zuberi today filed a suit in a City Civil Court here seeking a direction to restrain film maker Ram Gopal Varma from releasing his forthcoming flick Not a Love Story, said to be based on the murder of TV executive Neeraj Grover, stating that the film was a copy of his under-production film based on similar plot. [caption id=“attachment_62267” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Zuberi urged the court to restrain Varma from releasing the movie until he compensates him for the losses suffered by him. Raju Shelar/Firstpost”]  [/caption] Zuberi claimed he was making a film titled Love Affair and had registered the script with the Film Writers’ Association. He alleged that Varma had copied the story idea and was making a similar film on Neeraj Grover’s murder with the title “Not a love story”. Zuberi claimed that his film was 70 per cent complete and would be ready for release in the next 45 days. The producer said he had already spent Rs 70 lakh on the venture and was shocked to see in newspapers that Varma was releasing a film based on the same subject. Varma, whose film Not a love story is slated for release on 19 August, said he had not heard of producer Zuberi and dismissed allegations that he had copied the story idea. Zuberi urged the court to restrain Varma from releasing the movie until he compensates him for the losses suffered by him or in the alternative he prayed that Varma be asked to release the film only after Zuberi’s film Love Affair was exhibited in theatres. Zuberi’s lawyer Sushan Kunjuraman said the petition would be heard tomorrow. PTI