Usthad Hotel Actress and popular Kappa TV VJ, Meghna Nair who was part of Honey Bee 2 movie has filed a police complaint against its director, Jean Paul Lal @ Lal Jr and production company, Lal Media for using a body double of Meghna for a scene without her permission.
Meghna in an exclusive conversation with The Kochi Post and has clarified that the case has been filed for using a body double in the movie and not for passing any lewd remarks, contrary to media reports. She added, “My only concern is that despite my objection, they have used a body double of mine for a scene. I am against objectifying women and had my reservations about a particular scene where my exposed back and stomach is shown. When I refused to do that, they asked me to leave the set and told me that they would call me for another scene which was to be later shot. They never called me and when the movie was released with a different scene from what I was told, I realised they have used a body double.”
Sources close to The Kochi Post has confirmed that the complaint has been leaked to media by Lal Jr. and Lal Media to downplay the entire issue of using a body double and making it an ingenuine case of passing lewd comments, the moment the FIR was registered as they knew it would be on news very soon.
A source on the condition of anonymity said, “It is only an irony that actor Lal who owns Lal Media and the first person to have had come in support of the victim actress in the popular actress abduction case involving Dileep, has now been involved in a case of objectifying women. Actor Lal in his statement to the media has been focussing on alleged unprofessional behaviour by Meghna and poor acting by Meghna but if it was so why the scenes involving her was included. The movie when released had several scenes involving Meghna and a body double only in the controversial scene revealing her back and stomach.”
Meghna confirmed to The Kochi Post that the complaint is only against the director, the technicians – Anoop and Anirudh and the production company and not against actor Sreenath Bhasi, contrary to certain media reports.
According to the legal notice (a copy of which is with The Kochi Post), issued by the law firm representing the actor, “The Assistant Director hurried to her room and asked the costume designer “If she bends down in this dress, will it be possible to see anything?” My client was stunned by this statement and asked Mr. Anirudh if he was referring about her or her character. Upon his affirmation Mr. Anirudh explained that the scene is like this- “my client arrive at the hotel lobby in a taxi. She gets out and the taxi driver puts her bags on the floor. She bends down to pick it up- exposing a part of her back and stomach. When she bends down to pick it up the bags, Asif Ali and Sreenath Bhasi would watch this only to realise it’s her when she turn around. Her character would be unaware of any of this, see Asif and after greeting him proceed up to the room.” My client informed me that this scene was newly introduced intending to harm her and with the knowledge that this will degrade her reputation. She questioned the same and informed him that she is never going to do such an indecent and vulgar scene and further informed that such a scene was not in the script and if it was there she would not have given consent to act in the film.”
The legal notice further says, “My client was so embarrassed and is so depressed upon this incident. You made and published such a scene only intending to harm my client and knowing that her character will be individually considered by the audience and it will gave an impression that she is a girl of less virtue and upon firm belief that if she is characterized in this way it will defame her reputation. My client was under the strong belief that even if you had gone ahead to include her scenes, she should have got the call for dubbing her portions, especially after you had told my client to prepare and be well versed in New York accent for portrayal of the character. But, my client was not called for or informed about the dubbing. Further, seeming to be complete disdain to my client, a highly incompetent dubbing artist was used, while my client had prepared for the same in her own time. It is also imperative to note that you did not provide my client with an accent coach or a dance coach for the preparation.”
Meghna told, “I tried to solve this amicably after the movie came out. I tried calling them and messaging them, but they never responded. And if they were willing to then delete all my character scenes after they asked me to leave, why did they go ahead and used many of my scenes, especially the scene that I did not agree too.”
Meghna further says, “I did ask for damages, but I need justice for threatening, insulting and cheating. They have not acknowledged the use of the body double still. I need to have some control over my work portfolio too, and how I am portrayed, how I am being portrayed in the media too. You cant violate a person’s rights like this. The notice was sent much before the Dileep issue came up. I am not here after publicity. If I wanted publicity, I would have gone to the media myself ages ago. I tried my best to solve it peacefully without dragging anyone down.”
Meghna had demanded a public apology and announcement that the girl in the indecent scene was not Meghna. She had further demanded a compensation of Rupees Ten Lakhs for the defamatory actions on the part of Lal Jr. and Lal Media and an amount of Rupees One Lakh, which was earlier offered as remuneration and not paid.
You can read Meghna’s legal notice to Lal Media and Lal Jr. below.
