The Mumbai Police have registered a case against the organisers of the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) for allegedly claiming the central government’s support and deceiving several state governments and companies for sponsorship. The event organisers, including DPIFF founder and Managing Director Anil Mishra, reportedly misled sponsors such as Punjab National Bank, Cinepolis, and PVR Inox, police sources said.

What is the case about?

The police say that Anil Mishra and his team lied about getting support from the Indian government to make their event look more trustworthy to sponsors. They also allegedly sold awards using the name of Dadasaheb Phalke, who is called the "Father of Indian Cinema."

Reports suggest that some actors, even those whose movies did not do well in theatres, received awards in exchange for money.

The organisers also claimed that famous Bollywood actors would attend the event. They charged Rs 2.5 lakh for a pass that allowed two people to enter. The festival is planned to take place at the Taj Lands End hotel in Bandra, Mumbai, on February 19 and 20.

On its website, DPIFF says that it is India’s only independent international film festival and a very prestigious event that celebrates the legacy of Dadasaheb Phalke.

However, the awards given at this event are not the same as the official Dadasaheb Phalke Award, which is given by the President of India as part of the National Film Awards.

So far, the organisers of DPIFF have not responded to these accusations.

What are the allegations against Anil Mishra and his team?

The police have filed a case (FIR) against Anil Mishra, his wife Parvati Mishra, and their son Abhishek Mishra, along with others. They are accused of lying about government support for the event.

According to the police, the organisers used the names of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other political leaders to make the festival appear more genuine and trustworthy.

Additionally, the organisers allegedly promoted the event as part of the "Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award" presented by the President of India, which is not true. To gain sponsorships, they claimed the event supported the "Incredible India" campaign, an international tourism promotion initiative launched by the Indian Ministry of Tourism in 2002.

Sources say that Anil Mishra used letters that appeared to be written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Tourism Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. These letters contained good wishes for the event, which helped make it look official and trustworthy.

The organisers collected money from many sources, including government offices and private companies. Some of the sponsors included the tourism departments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, and Maharashtra. Banks like Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) also gave money. Other companies such as Haldirams, Acer, Cinepolis, PVR Inox, and Senco were also asked to provide sponsorships.

Police sources also said that the company under which these sponsorships were collected, called International Tourism Festival Private Limited, has already been shut down.

Complaint and legal action

The case was filed based on a complaint by Sameer Dixit, the Maharashtra president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Chitrapat Kamgar Aghadi, which claims to support film, television, and digital industry workers.

"When we tried to dig up information on the film festival, we learnt that the organisers tried to make the event appear as though it was government-supported. They also used the Prime Minister’s Office and names of ministers as a reference to promote the event and misguide the people. They also said the festival seeks to promote the 'Incredible India' tourism campaign. They took sponsorship from public sector units like Punjab Tourism and Uttarakhand Tourism and Punjab National Bank. We have gathered all the evidence and given it to the police," Mr. Dixit said.

The Mumbai Police have registered the case under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deal with cheating and fraud. A police investigation is currently underway. 

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