Pirated Pizza –II seized; youth interrogated in FFM custody

Imphal, May 10:  Ten pirated DVD disc of Manipuri film Pizza-II, featured by popular Manipuri star Kaiku, Boney and Bala were today seized from the possession of a 19 years old youth by members of Film Forum Manipur (FFM) from Nambol Naorem area in Bishnupur today morning.
The youth identified as Nahakpam Rishikanta @ Athoi, son of N Kaper of Khabam Bhamdier was caught along with the pirated video disc while he was trying to sell those to video parlour at Nambol area in a two wheeler motor bike.
As told by him, he first procured a disc of the film Pizza –II from a Video Parlour at Malom Awang leikai run by one Laishram Pankaj on the payment of Rs. 50. Later he copied the disc and sold it to many persons for Rs 400, 300 and 70 respectively. He was trying to sell the 10 disc to video Parlours at Nambol area.
Talking to media persons, Dinesh Tongbram, the producer of the film said that they have been searching to find out the truth after he received information about the film being pirated. He said volunteers of the Film Forum Manipur have been collecting information to catch the man behind the piracy and on getting specific information the person was waited until he took out the video disc for delivering it to a video parlour.
Tongbram said if the kind of piracy happened even after knowing that there is a copyright act 1957, there is apprehension that film producers may become looser in the coming days. He opined for more stringent law to protect the rights of the film.
Chairman of Film Forum Manipur Surjakanta Sharma, while speaking to media appealed the people not to encourage such act of piracy. He however said that the Film Forum Manipur have nothing to do if the producer and the dealer settled the matter.
The film is stated to have been pirated from a theater house at Lamsang in Imphal West.
Surjakanta further added that the youth Nahakpam Rishikanta is in the custody of FFM. He will be handed over to police for further course of action as according to the law of the land, he added.