Choreographer-filmmaker Remo D'Souza, who was at his gym, stumbled across a pen drive, containing Akshay Kumar's entire film, 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha' which is set to hit the screens on August 11
Remo D'Souza
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Remember how the makers of Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) kept the nation's most-guarded secret – why Katappa killed Baahubali – under wraps till the second instalment of the film hit the screens? Maybe the edit team of Akshay Kumar's next, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, needs to borrow this strategy to keep the film safe until its release. Recently, choreographer-filmmaker Remo D'Souza, who was at his gym, stumbled across a pen drive, containing Kumar's entire film, which is set to hit the screens on August 11.
D'Souza told mid-day, "My gym trainer found a pen drive at the studio and asked me to have a look at it. I was shocked to find that it had the entire raw footage of the film. I made sure he didn't pass on the copy to anyone. Neither did I let him watch it. Prerna [Arora of KriArj Entertainment; film's production company] is a friend and I gave the pen drive to her. I am a filmmaker and as part of the fraternity, I understand a leak could have lasting monetary repercussions. The film's business would have been massively affected. I just did whatever I could, in my capacity."
Meanwhile, the producers are being extra careful and have also lodged a complaint with the crime branch to get hold of the culprit. "An internal enquiry has been set up. The matter cannot be taken lightly. So far, the investigation doesn't suggest any malicious activity, but Neeraj Pandey [co-producer] doesn't want to take any risks. He will keep the editing job between him and his most trusted men henceforth, to avoid such a situation in the future," says a source.
Initially, no official complaint was filed, but on Wednesday, under the direction of a supervising cop, who was looking into the matter, an FIR was registered. "The pen drive containing the film is now with the police," says the source.