The Indian Film Festival of New Zealand has withdrawn its invitation to screen Aasmani, Sayani Gupta’s directorial debut, citing copyright and confidentiality concerns amid an ongoing formal dispute. Festival director Petrina D’Rozario calls the move a precaution, not a legal judgment, while Gupta firmly denies infringement claims and insists the short film is wholly original and rooted in her personal family history.
The Indian Film Festival of New Zealand (TIFFNZ) has officially withdrawn its invitation to screen the short film Aasmani, the directorial debut of actor Sayani Gupta, citing alleged "copyright and confidentiality" concerns, THR India has learned.
The decision comes while a formal dispute regarding the film remains under process. The project is co-produced by Nikkhi Advani for the Sumitra Gupta Foundation for Arts (SGFA), alongside Dia Mirza and Ananya Rane.
Confirming the development, TIFFNZ Director Petrina D’Rozario told THR India that the festival chose to pull the title as a precautionary measure while formal proceedings take place.
“Yes, the festival has decided to withdraw the letter of invitation for Aasmani and the filmmaker has been informed,” D’Rozario said.
“As a festival, our responsibility is first and foremost to protect the integrity of the filmmaker and the platform we have created. When a credible concern involving copyright and confidentiality is brought to our attention as a formal process is underway, as a team we collectively believe the responsible course is to step back from screening the film.”
D’Rozario emphasised that the decision does not constitute a legal judgment or a ruling on the validity of the allegations.
“Our decision is not a finding on the merits of the dispute, but rather a precautionary measure to ensure that TIFFNZ remains a fair, respectful, and trusted platform for filmmakers,” she added.
Responding to the development, Sayani Gupta also issued a statement denying any wrongdoing and maintaining that Aasmani is an original work.
"I want to begin by clearly stating that Aasmani is an original film. Till now, I chose not to speak. Not because silence meant acceptance, nor because I had nothing to say. Since the allegation was put forth before the appropriate authority, I followed due process and believed that facts should be placed there, and not tried through WhatsApp groups, inboxes or public opinion. But silence can sometimes bury the truth under noise."
Gupta said that the core idea of the film — revolving around a grandmother, her granddaughter, and their blue car — was drawn from her own upbringing in Bengal and inspired by her personal family history.
"I was born and raised in Bengal, in a world surrounded by stories, folklore, literature, philosophy and humour; long before I knew I would someday direct a film. My grandmother, a philosopher, had a seminal influence in shaping my world view. Her loss had a profound effect on me. I was raised by women who constantly challenged me and spoke to me about ideology, integrity and independence. The core idea of Aasmani comes from this world, these women, and is a homage to the indomitable women whose shoulders I stand on today, and the values they instilled in me. It became a story about a witty grandmother and her cheeky granddaughter, and Aasmani, their often observant powder-blue car. It is a story-book world about generations of women; exchange of value systems; memory and attachment; and about love and loss. Aasmani is my first film as a writer and director. But it is not the first film I dreamt of making. It is simply the first one I happened to make."
Gupta said the film's script was "created over years and finally written and developed into the film that exists today." Addressing the conflict, the actor-filmmaker noted that the claim was raised by a fellow FTII filmmaker based on an unfinished documentary project that Gupta says she was unaware of.
"A fellow FTII filmmaker has raised a concern. She has every right to raise a grievance. And I have respectfully held my truth. The claim has been made based on assumptions, without watching my short-fiction comedy film. And I had no idea about her ‘unfinished’ documentary project. There is a difference between an allegation and a finding. Aasmani came from its own world, its own journey. And without any knowledge of any other film in development. To see that distinction collapse into a public narrative of 'copyright infringement' is not only misleading, it is deeply unfair to the film and to everyone who has tirelessly worked on it. What has been troubling to watch is this become a copyright issue when it absolutely isn’t one."
The filmmaker continued, "Two films can share a broad idea, theme, a woman, a car, aging, independence, and exist independently, without one being copied from the other. Copyright protects expression, not every shared idea or emotion. Ironically, this one experience has taught me more about copyright, than in the last 15 years. I am not a large studio or an institution standing across from an independent filmmaker. I am an independent filmmaker myself. The seed of which was sown at my alma-mater, FTII. It is because of this spirit we are able to make films against all odds. And exactly the reason I have spent the better part of the last 15 years creating, collaborating, and championing independent films, always choosing story and intent over fame or money.
"My film is about freedom. And I believe freedom is the only thing worth fighting for. Freedom also means having empathy, holding space for another person’s point of view. And everyone has the freedom to think, question, support, disagree, distinguish, and eventually decide for themselves without being instructed by the noise. There is a difference between speaking loudly and speaking the truth. The rest belongs to facts, process and time."
Written, directed, and co-produced by Gupta under her maiden banner, Sayani Gupta Movies (SGM), Aasmani marks the actor’s formal transition into filmmaking. The short film features veteran actor Revathy in the lead, alongside Daria Bedi and Abhay Kaul.