Mumbai Police have filed a case against the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) organizers for cheating sponsors and government agencies by claiming fake government support. This news has shocked Bollywood.
The festival’s founder, Anil Mishra, along with his wife Parvati Mishra and son Abhishek Mishra, falsely claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah supported their event. These false claims helped them get sponsorships from Punjab National Bank, SBI, LIC, Haldirams, Acer, Cinepolis, and PVR Inox.
The organizers also misused the ‘Incredible India’ tourism campaign to make their event look more credible.
Reports say that the organizers sold awards in the name of Dadasaheb Phalke, even to actors whose movies had failed. They also charged Rs. 2.5 lakh per ticket for the event, which was scheduled at Taj Lands End in Mumbai on February 19 and 20.
The scam came to light when Sameer Dixit, head of BJP’s Chitrapat Kamgar Aghadi, filed a complaint. An FIR was registered against the Mishra family for cheating and fraud.
Police found that the company used for sponsorships, International Tourism Festival Private Limited, had already shut down.
This fraud has damaged trust in film awards and raised concerns about fake festivals. Using Dadasaheb Phalke’s name for fraud has angered many in Bollywood.
The investigation is ongoing, and if found guilty, the accused may face serious punishment. This case is a lesson for actors and sponsors to verify event credibility before participating.
