The second season of Made In Heaven premiered a few days ago. Created by Zoya Akhtar, it features Sobhita Dhulipala and Arjun Mathur in the lead roles.
Recently, the show received flak when author Yashica Dutt accused the makers of using her work without giving her credit or consent. She said that the character of Radhika Apte in episode 5, titled The Heart Skipped a Beat, was based on Dutt's life.
Now, Zoya took to her social media handle and issued a statement to deny the claims. The Gully Boy director said, "We are deeply disturbed with the misleading reports and comments in context of author Yashica Dutt claiming formal credit for her 'contribution' for Made In Heaven, a show set around wedding planners and remarkable brides who challenge prejudices deeply ingrained in our society."
Check out Zoya Akhtar's statement:
Further, she said that Radhika's character is not drawn from Yashica Dutt's life or her book, 'Coming Out As Dalit.' Zoya added: "We categorically deny any claim that Ms. Dutt's life of work was appropriated by us."
Zoya added, "In the episode, the character, Pallavi Menke simply uses it in this content. The character does not attribute herself and neither has been attributed with coining this term or being the pioneer of its usage in a Daslit context."
"Though his previous work and this episode, Neeraj Ghaywan has added to the discourse. We made this show with sincerity, passion and a beating heart and are overwhelmed with the love we have received. We will continue to platform stories and voices that are truly bigger than us," Zoya concluded.
