Manoj Kumar files defamation lawsuit against Shah Rukh, Farah Khan

Yesteryears actor Manoj Kumar on Tuesday filed a criminal case against Shahrukh Khan and choreographer-turned-director Farah Khan in a local court for allegedly defaming him in their film 'Om Shanti Om'.

Kumar sought registration of FIR against the duo for alleged offences such as criminal breach of trust, cheating, defamation and conspiracy.

The case dates back to 2007 when 'Om Shanti Om' was released with a scene in which Khan had allegedly "mimicked" the veteran actor. It was allegedly shown in the movie that Kumar was prevented from entering an auditorium during a show.u00a0

Manoj Kumar has sued Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan for allegedly defaming him in their film 'Om Shanti Om'. Filr Pic

However, Kumar had in 2008 objected to the scene and filed a defamation suit but he withdrew the case after Khan had apologised to him personally and assured that the scene in which he was mimicking Kumar would be deleted.

The city civil court had also in 2008 directed Khan to delete the scene allegedly ridiculing Kumar before the movie was slated for telecast on TV channels.

Kumar, in the complaint filed on Tuesday in a court of Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate through his lawyer Ashok Sarogi, said the movie was released recently in Japan after which he started getting telephone calls saying it still contained the controversial scene depicting him in allegedly poor light.

"The complainant (Kumar) had been made to believe that the scene was deleted from the film. However, it was not deleted and accused (Khan and Farah) have made an attempt to gain cheap popularity and business for the film and made money out of it," alleged Kumar in the complaint.

Further, according to Kumar, the accused had hatched a conspiracy to show the same objectionable scene all over the places and thereby make illegal profits by keeping Kumar in the dark. In this way, they had committed a fraud on him, Kumar alleged.

Kumar has sought a thorough police investigation saying since the original negatives and electronic master prints continue to be with the accused, the case needs a proper probe.

Adjourning the case till weekend, the magistrate on Tuesday directed that a copy of the film, containing the allegedly objectionable scene, be produced in the court.u00a0