The India Story Film Faces Legal Notice Over Farming Misrepresentation Allegations

The upcoming film The India Story: Slow Poison In Progress, starring Shreyas Talpade and Kajal Aggarwal, has received a formal legal notice regarding alleged defamatory depictions of the Indian agricultural sector. Issued on June 15 by advocate Hiranya Pandey on behalf of an agro-business proprietor, the 18-page notice challenges promotional content that characterizes Indian farming as a source of slow poison, citing exaggerations in pesticide usage and cancer-related statistics.

The complainant specifically contests scenes depicting excessive food adulteration and scientifically questionable visuals, such as the injection of chicken carcasses. The notice argues that these portrayals unfairly tarnish the reputation of millions of farmers and dairy producers. Filmmakers have been instructed to disclose the methodology and scientific basis for their claims, with a seven-day window provided to remove the contested promotional material.

A copy of the notice has been sent to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with a formal request to withhold or withdraw certification until the content is substantiated. The producers now face the prospect of civil and criminal proceedings, including a potential High Court petition for an interim injunction, should they fail to comply with the demands for corrections.