Anurag Kashyap goes his own way to prove Newton' is no rip-off
Mumbai: Rajkumar Rao and entire team of ‘Newton’ is on cloud nine since the time it being selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars in the foreign language category. It’s been a mixed response to the jury’s decision on selecting this Amit Masurkar directed film. Some feel Aamir Khan’s blockbuster ‘Dangal’ or SS Rajamouli’s grandeur ‘Baahubali’ would have been a better choice. Some people also accused the film being plagiarised from Iranian film, Secret Ballot.
Newton director Amit Masurkar tried to retaliate in an honest statement. He said,"The film has travelled to all international film festivals and has been awarded, if it were a copy do you think this would have happened? All these allegations have begun when it landed in India. I don’t even know about the film or the story of Secret Ballot. I have just watched a little bit of it after people starting talking about the similarities in the two films.”
Anurag Kashyap, a torch-bearer of indie-cinema of India, slammed the haters who are spreading negative stuff about the film. He posted a text on the micro-blogging site to mock at the comparisons. He wrote, “Newton is as much a copy of Secret Ballot as The Avengers is of Watan Ke Rakhwale.”
"Newton" is as much a copy of "Secret Ballot" as The Avengers is of Watan Ke Rakhwale
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) September 24, 2017
To emphasis on the fact that Newton is a great pick, he also tweeted, "Newton is an award winner from Berlin Fest and I can promise you those curators watch more films in a year than rest of us do in a lifetime."
Newton is an award winner from Berlin Fest and I can promise you those curators watch more films in a year than rest of us do in a lifetime.
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) September 24, 2017
He didn’t stop there, Anurag sent a copy of Newton to Secret Ballot producer, Marco Muller to confirm that Newton is no rip off.
In a recent Facebook post, ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ director said, “Here is what the producer of "Secret Ballot " said to me after watching Newton. I requested the link of Newton from its director and send it to Marco Muller , the producer. And he wrote back "A pretty decent film, definitely no rip off from our Secret Ballot (even if the general concept is the same)" and then I asked him if I can share his response on Social Media? He replied,"please feel free as you see fit, there is not even a hint of plagiarisation. (sic)”
Anurag Kashyap even shared a snippet of an interview with Secret Ballot director Babak Payami where he confirmed that there are only thematic similarities between the two films. Babak mentioned, "I do not believe this (thematic similarities) would limit other filmmakers from rendering the same themes in their own voice. I am therefore not contemplating anything but my best wishes for director Amit Masurkar."
Newton is been granted Rs 1 crore funding by the Government, actor Rajkummar Rao is planning to take time off to be in the US to create an effective campaign to promote the film there.
Anurag Kashyap was earlier seen promoting Newton unconditionally by writing praises for the film on Twitter.
That day when you wake up to the news that a deserving film makes a deserving box office .. Newton Shines .. super happy..
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) September 24, 2017
"Newton" india's official entry for the oscars.. go watch it now
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) September 22, 2017
The nomination lists for The Oscars 2018 will be out on January 23rd, 2018 while the main event will take place On March 4th, 2018.
