Actor Sayani Gupta’s directorial debut short Aasmani has gotten into trouble. The film will not be screened at The Indian Film Festival of New Zealand (TIFFNZ) as the festival has officially withdrawn its invitation to showcase the film after alleged “copyright and confidentiality” concerns, as per a report in The Hollywood Reporter India.
The decision comes after a filmmaker from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) raised a grievance stating that Aasmani is similar to her unfinished documentary project. The project is co-produced by Nikkhil Advani for the Sumitra Gupta Foundation for Arts (SGFA), alongside Dia Mirza and Ananya Rane.
Confirming the development, TIFFNZ Director Petrina D’Rozario told THR India that the festival chose to pull the title as a precautionary measure while formal proceedings take place.
“Yes, the festival has decided to withdraw the letter of invitation for Aasmani and the filmmaker has been informed,” D’Rozario said.
“As a festival, our responsibility is first and foremost to protect the integrity of the filmmaker and the platform we have created. When a credible concern involving copyright and confidentiality is brought to our attention as a formal process is underway, as a team we collectively believe the responsible course is to step back from screening the film,” she added.
She also stated that the decision does not constitute a legal judgment or a ruling on the validity of the allegations.
“Our decision is not a finding on the merits of the dispute, but rather a precautionary measure to ensure that TIFFNZ remains a fair, respectful, and trusted platform for filmmakers,” she said.
Sayani also issued a statement, as quoted by THR, denying any wrongdoing and maintaining that te short film is her original work.
"I want to begin by clearly stating that Aasmani is an original film. Till now, I chose not to speak. Not because silence meant acceptance, nor because I had nothing to say. Since the allegation was put forth before the appropriate authority, I followed due process and believed that facts should be placed there, and not tried through WhatsApp groups, inboxes or public opinion. But silence can sometimes bury the truth under noise,” she said.
Sayani said that the idea for the film-- revolving around a grandmother, her granddaughter, and their blue car—originated from her experiences of growing up in Bengal.
"I was born and raised in Bengal, in a world surrounded by stories, folklore, literature, philosophy and humour; long before I knew I would someday direct a film. My grandmother, a philosopher, had a seminal influence in shaping my world view. Her loss had a profound effect on me. I was raised by women who constantly challenged me and spoke to me about ideology, integrity and independence. The core idea of Aasmani comes from this world, these women, and is a homage to the indomitable women whose shoulders I stand on today, and the values they instilled in me. It became a story about a witty grandmother and her cheeky granddaughter, and Aasmani, their often-observant powder-blue car. It is a story-book world about generations of women; exchange of value systems; memory and attachment; and about love and loss. Aasmani is my first film as a writer and director. But it is not the first film I dreamt of making. It is simply the first one I happened to make,” she said.
Sayani said the film's script was "created over years and finally written and developed into the film that exists today." Addressing the conflict, the actor-filmmaker noted that the claim was raised by a fellow FTII filmmaker based on an unfinished documentary project that she says she was unaware of.
"A fellow FTII filmmaker has raised a concern. She has every right to raise a grievance. And I have respectfully held my truth. The claim has been made based on assumptions, without watching my short-fiction comedy film. And I had no idea about her ‘unfinished’ documentary project. There is a difference between an allegation and a finding. Aasmani came from its own world, its own journey. And without any knowledge of any other film in development. To see that distinction collapse into a public narrative of 'copyright infringement' is not only misleading, it is deeply unfair to the film and to everyone who has tirelessly worked on it. What has been troubling to watch is this become a copyright issue when it absolutely isn’t one,” she said.
"Two films can share a broad idea, theme, a woman, a car, aging, independence, and exist independently, without one being copied from the other. Copyright protects expression, not every shared idea or emotion. Ironically, this one experience has taught me more about copyright, than in the last 15 years. I am not a large studio or an institution standing across from an independent filmmaker. I am an independent filmmaker myself. The seed of which was sown at my alma-mater, FTII. It is because of this spirit we are able to make films against all odds. And exactly the reason I have spent the better part of the last 15 years creating, collaborating, and championing independent films, always choosing story and intent over fame or money,” she added.
Written, directed, and co-produced by Sayani under her maiden banner, Sayani Gupta Movies (SGM), Aasmani marks the actor’s transition into direction. The short features veteran actor Revathy in the lead, alongside Daria Bedi and Abhay Kaul.
