Dalit author Yashica Dutt slams Made in Heaven makers for appropriation again, Alankrita Shrivastava replies

Immediately after the release of the second season of Made in Heaven, Dalit author Yashica Dutt took to her social media to express her criticism over the makers for appropriation of her life story, and not being given the due credit she opined she rightfully deserved. 

In response to the criticism, the makers including Zoya Akhtar, Alankrita Shrivastava, Neeraj Ghaywan and Reema Kagti said that they denied her life or work was appropriated by them. 

Again on Wednesday, Yashica took to her social media to assert that she has been wronged by the makers, who conducted a meeting with her back in 2022, heard her entire story, and never called her back. 

In a long note, she recalled the meeting and wrote, "It's evident that the makers of MIH really couldn't stand seeing a Dalit woman assertively demand her rightful credit, especially when they expected me to be grateful for their theft. In their statement, the makers claim to be 'deeply disturbed' by the 'misleading claims' I allegedly made by asking to be acknowledged for my likeness that thousands of their viewers have already pointed out. Was it not 'misleading' when Alankrita Shrivastava, the writer and director of Made in Heaven, who also co-signed the condescending statement, requested a meeting with me in New York on July 15, 2022 that lasted five hours? Which she spent asking me detailed questions about my life & work without revealing any of her intentions behind it?"

Further, calling out the makers for their statement, she wrote, "In response to my gentle demand for acknowledgement on an episode I called a 'cinematic triumph', the makers posted a denigrating, hostile statement that not only directly contradicts what Neeraj Ghaywan posted on his Instagram post but also attempts to openly discredit my work around the discourse of 'Coming Out as Dalit', while morally chastising a Dalit, Bhangi woman for standing up for herself."

Expressing her gratitude to those who stood by her, she shared,  "I'm extremely grateful to everyone who recognized & raised their voices against this blatant theft of my likeness, even without knowing the diabolical intentions of the savarna makers. This is a pivotal moment to recognize the worth of Dalit narratives, Dalit labour & Dalit ideas, which will hopefully ensure that savarna filmmakers, no matter how powerful, think twice before stealing our lives again without permission or credit. Jai Bhim!"

To this allegation, Alankrita Shrivastava took to her official X handle with a very short reply. "The Pallavi Menke story was shot in October 2021. I went to New York in July 2022," she wrote. 

Episode 5 of the second season of the series, titled 'The Heart Skipped A Beat', revolves around a Dalit Buddhist wedding of Radhika Apte, who plays a Dalit author in the episode. The story of the episode seems almost completely similar to the book authored by Yashica Dutt, titled  Coming Out as a Dalit. In fact, the book in the episode is also titled Coming Out in the particular episode. 

Made in Heaven stars Sobitha Dhulipala, Arjun Mathur, Jim Sarbh, Kalki Koechlin, Vijay Raaz, Shashank Raghuvanshi and Shashank Arora in lead roles.