Legal Notice Issued to Makers of 'The India Story' Film Over Farming Claims

The upcoming film 'The India Story: Slow Poison In Progress,' featuring Shreyas Talpade and Kajal Aggarwal, has received a legal notice. The notice, issued on June 15 by advocate Hiranya Pandey on behalf of Bhavesh Sodha, proprietor of Agri Business Centre, targets Zee Studios, MIG Production & Studios LLP, and the film's makers.

The 18-page notice raises serious objections to the film's teaser and promotional content. It alleges that these materials contain misleading, defamatory, and scientifically unverified claims concerning Indian agriculture, the dairy sector, and poultry farming. The complainant contends that the film portrays India's farming ecosystem as a source of "slow poison" through alleged exaggeration of pesticide usage, food adulteration, and cancer-related statistics.

The notice specifically challenges several claims and visuals presented in the teaser. It disputes the alleged suggestion of excessive pesticide use in India, arguing that the country's pesticide usage per hectare is lower than in several other nations. It also contests the film's purported claim that a majority of milk in India is adulterated and objects to a scene depicting a syringe injected into a dead chicken carcass, describing it as scientifically impossible and misleading. Furthermore, the complainant questions the alleged attempt to link agricultural practices directly to rising cancer cases, stating that such claims require robust scientific evidence.

The demands outlined in the notice include the disclosure of source material, methodology, and scientific basis for all major statistics and visuals used in the film. It also calls for the immediate removal of the teaser and all related promotional content from digital platforms, alongside substantial corrections to the film before its public release.

A copy of the notice has been sent to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The complainant urges the CBFC to withhold certification or review and withdraw any existing certificate until the allegedly misleading content is removed and adequately substantiated. The filmmakers have been given seven days to comply with these demands. Failure to do so could lead to civil and criminal proceedings, including approaching the High Court for an interim injunction to prevent the film's release.

According to Bollywood Hungama, Kajal Aggarwal Kitchlu has highlighted food safety concerns ahead of the film's release, stating, “This is unfortunately the story of India.”