'Made In Heaven' Makers "Categorically Deny" Author Yashica Dutt's Claim Of Radhika Apte Episode Being Based On Her Life
The makers of 'Made In Heaven' Season 2 have come out with a joint statement, denying all the claims made by the author.
The makers of 'Made in Heaven' Season 2, namely Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Neeraj Ghaywan and Alankrita Srivastava, have come under fire off late after writer Yashica Dutt, who is the author of 'Coming Out As Dalit' had called out the show makers for using stories from her life and using them in the fifth episode of the second season. She stated that she has not been given her due credits in the episode which featured Radhika Apte as a Dalit woman.
In the latest entertainment news, the makers of the show have come out with a joint statement, denying all the claims made by the author.
"We are deeply disturbed with the misleading reports and comments in context of author Yashica Dutt claiming formal credit for her 'contribution' to Made In Heaven, a show set around wedding planners and remarkable brides who challenge prejudices deeply ingrained in our society. In Episode 5 - 'The Heart Skips a Beat', we peek into the life of Pallavi Menke, a fictional character. Pallavi Menke is a Maharashtrian Ambedkarite from the Vidarbha region, who studied law at Columbia University. She grew up using a caste-neutral surname and was called Pallavi Kumar. She has now reclaimed her original surname, Menke, a signifier of her true identity as a member of the Dalit community. Pallavi Menke is an academic who teaches at Columbia and is likely to be tenured as a professor," the statement read.
"The central conflict of the episode is whether Pallavi should fight to have the wedding rituals that are a signifier of her identity, or not. None of the above is drawn from Yashica Dutt's life or her book - 'Coming Out as Dalit.' We categorically deny any claim that Ms Dutt's life or work was appropriated by us," the statement added.
Check out the joint statement here:
Speaking about Yashica's remark that the term "coming out" was popularised by her, the makers said: "Coming Out is a 1950s academic LGBTQIA term that was first used by Mr Sumit Baudh in the Indian caste identity context in 2007... A decade later, it was used by Ms Dutt in her book. The term has since become common parlance for reclaiming caste-identity."
"In the episode, Pallavi Menke simply uses it in this context. The character does not attribute herself and neither has she been attributed with coining this term or being the pioneer of its usage in a Dalit context. Pallavi Menke's fictional book 'Denied' is a hat tip to several books like Ants Among Elephants by Sujatha Gidla, Caste Matters by Suraj Yengde, Coming Out as Dalit by Yashica Dutt and Tarshi article by Sumit Baudh," the statement added further.
For the unversed, the fifth episode of 'Made in Heaven' Season 2 is titled 'The Heart Skipped A Beat'. The episode features Radhika Apte playing the role of Pallavi Menke, who is shown to be an Ivy League lawyer and author. The episode shows how she is in an inter-caste relationship.
In the episode, Radhika Apte’s character Pallavi is shown to have an outspoken nature, and her fiancee happens to be equally supportive of her beliefs. As the events unfold, Radhika Apte's character wants to have a Dalit wedding, and it is then that the situation takes an unexpected turn. However, despite the challenges, Radhika Apte's character remains firm in her decision.
