PIL against Sunny Leone

  If any publicity is good publicity, Pooja Bhatt's 'Jism 2' -- making headlines for all the wrong reasons -- has something more to cheer about. A PIL has been filed in the Allahabad High Court seeking a stay on the release of the film even before it has been cleared by the CBFC, as well as challenging the provisions of the law which define the powers of the Censor Board.
The PIL, filed by activist Rakesh Nayayik from Varanasi, raises an objection to the inclusion of Sunny Leone in the film. "We have sought a stay order on the release of Jism 2 because of the sexually explicit content of the movie, and the inclusion of Sunny Leone in the film, for the adverse moral impact that her presence would have on society," elaborates advocate SMA Kazmi, the legal counsel in the case.

Kazmi argues that bringing an adult film star from the West into mainstream Bollywood cinema would send out a wrong message to aspiring actresses in the country. "Till now, there were usually two routes that one took into the film industry -- one, through film schools or theatre, and two, via modelling. But inducting a porn star into Bollywood is introducing a third and more questionable medium of entry into Hindi films," he adds.

Such is the conviction of the lawyer in his case that he has also challenged the validity of Section 5(B) of the Cinematography Act of 1952. "Section 5(B) of the Cinematography Act legally equips the Censor Board to examine the content of a film and stop its exhibition if it is considered to be violating the morality or decency of our society. But it does not give enough teeth to the Board to be able to question the impact of a star's persona. Actors are seen as trendsetters and icons of the society, and when the law was chalked in 1952, no one would have conceived a situation such as this, when a porn star is allowed to act in a film."

The petitioner considers this as a legal flaw, and that Section 5(B) of the Cinematography Act is ultra-vires to the Constitution of India. "Article 19 (2) of the Constitution says that the Right to Freedom of Expression -- under which one would catergorize the making of a film -- can be restricted if it affects the decency or morality of the country in any way. If the Censor Board cannot restrict the entry of an actor who publicizes her porn star status, we believe it is violating this article," says Kazmi in explanation.

The bench comprising Chief Justice S R Alam and Justice Vikram Nath have deferred the hearing in the case till August 8.

Title hunt for Ajith film

One problem that films of big stars face is the right title. And Ajith's latest film, which is currently underway, seems to be in the same situation, with the makers looking out for a suitable title that will appeal to the audience.

This film, which is being directed by Vishnuvardhan, has an ensemble cast that has fans waiting to watch. Acting alongside Thala will be Nayanthara, Arya, Taapsee, Mahesh Manjhrekar, Kishore and Suman Ranganathan. The makers have been shooting for the film since the past couple of months, in Mumbai and Bangalore.

With the team not able to find a suitable title yet, director Vishnuvardhan has apparently come up with an interesting idea, where he wants to request the Thala fans for a suitable title if reports are to be believed.

With Ajith working out for a dapper new look for the film, the fans have already had raised expectations. While buzz has it that the makers are doing a remake of the Bollywood flick Race, there have been denials so far on these rumours. With so much of curiosity around, this new tactic to name the film might be a hit with the fans of the Kollywood star too. Wise, no?

John Cena, Stone Cold in Kollywood?

This might be the craziest news for all the fans of World Wrestling Entertainment. Two of its most loved stars John Cena and Stone Cold Steve Austin might soon be seen in a Tamil movie!

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The two superstars are said to be in talks with the team of Aascar Ravichandran's Boologam, which stars Jayam Ravi and Trisha in the lead. It is said that the two wrestling stars will be required for a scene where they will fight against Jayam Ravi.

Meanwhile, we do know that Jayam Ravi is playing a boxer in the film and has already undergone training in boxing for many months in preparation for the film. The question now remains on how the two wrestlers will fit into a film that is about boxing.

But, this is not the first time that WWE stars have been seen in an Indian film. People like Crush and Undertaker have been part of Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, which starred Akshay Kumar. Indian wrestling superstar Khali too has become a popular face on films and small screen in the recent years. Now, it remains to see if any of these wrestlers will indeed make it to Kodambakkam to act in a Tamil film!