In a move to save Indian cinema from cringe-worthy movies, Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) has nullified the membership of rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and his aide Honeypreet Kaur. The jailed baba and his 'daughter' won't be able to make any films in future. Under the franchise MSG, he has till now made five movies and was ready with the sixth installment MSG Online Gurukul but before that he was put behind bars. Dera chief not just acts but also produces, directs, edits his movies along with singing, writing and composing songs for them.
"Ram Rahim cannot work in the Indian film and television industry anymore. His membership has been cancelled by the IFTDA," said Ashoke Pandit, president of IFTDA. Pandit even said the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPAA) is contemplating terminating Ram Rahim's membership too from Monday. "We are organisations of creative and dignified people. We can't have a goon or criminal amongst us. The law has taken a hard stand on him and considering how many people died in Haryana due to his manipulation...," he said while explaining the reason of Ram Rahim's ouster from IFTDA.
From spy thriller to films on social cause to comedy flick, Ram Rahim's movie genre knows no bounds. He embarked on a film career with the 2015 venture "MSG: The Messenger", following it up with "MSG-2 The Messenger" and "MSG: The Warrior Lion Heart", "Hind Ka Napak Ko Jawab: MSG Lion Heart 2" and "Jattu Engineer", all of which he claimed to have written and directed. Honeypreet, whom the Dera website describes as his daughter (not real daughter), also co-directed some of these projects.
Ram Rahim has been sentenced to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment by a CBI special court on August 28 for raping two female sadhavis of his ashram. Taking suo moto cognizance, High Court asked CBI to investigate the matter after the Chief Justice received an anonymous letter purportedly written by one of the victims. The investigating agency lodged FIR against Ram Rahim in 2002.
(With IANS inputs)
