Sayani Gupta has finally addressed the copyright allegations surrounding her directorial debut Aasmani after TIFFNZ withdrew its screening invitation, calling the decision deeply unfair while maintaining that her film is original.
Actress Sayani Gupta has broken her silence over the copyright allegations surrounding her directorial debut, Aasmani, after the Indian Film Festival of New Zealand (TIFFNZ) withdrew its invitation to screen the short film.
Calling the development “deeply unfair”, Gupta maintained that Aasmani is an original work and said she had deliberately avoided discussing the matter publicly while the grievance was being addressed through the appropriate process.
Sayani Gupta Explains Her Silence
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, Sayani clarified that her silence should not be interpreted as acceptance of the allegations or an inability to respond. According to the actress, she chose to respect due process rather than allow the matter to become a subject of discussions across WhatsApp groups, inboxes and social media.
She said that when an allegation is being examined by the relevant authority, the facts should be presented there instead of being debated through public opinion. Gupta added that silence can sometimes allow “noise” to overshadow the truth.
Actress Maintains Aasmani Is An Original Film
Addressing the claim, Sayani said it was raised by a fellow FTII filmmaker in connection with an unfinished documentary project that she claimed she was unaware of. While acknowledging the filmmaker’s right to raise a grievance, Gupta stood by her own account of events.
The actress further said the allegation was based on assumptions and claimed the filmmaker had not watched Aasmani, which she described as a short-fiction comedy.
Gupta stressed that an allegation should not automatically be treated as a finding, arguing that the public narrative around the controversy had unfairly labelled the film as a copyright infringement case.
‘Aasmani Came From Its Own World’
Sayani also revealed that Aasmani’s script was created over several years before being developed into the film that audiences see today. She maintained that the project had its own journey and was developed independently, without knowledge of the other filmmaker’s unfinished work.
For Gupta, the controversy has therefore blurred the distinction between an allegation and an established finding, unfairly affecting the film and everyone involved in making it.