Kamal Amrohi’s Daughter Rukhsar Alleges, Preity Zinta Involved in Their 600 CR War With ‘Ulterior Motives’

Files an affadavit in court saying actor got involved due to ‘ulterior motives’

Preity Zinta - IS PREITY JUST A PROP IN KAMAL AMROHI’S 600 CRORE WAR?

Once in the news for producing some of Hindi cinema's most path-breaking films, the late Kamal Amrohi's sprawling Kamalistan Studio in Andheri has now become the centre of a pitched battle between his children for control of the Rs 600 crore businesses and property.

Curiously involved in this whole drama is actor Preity Zinta, who Amrohi's eldest son Shandar describes as his 'adopted daughter' but who Amrohi's daughter Rukhsar alleges has been propped up to influence her brother.

The dispute, which had first come to light when Shandar filed a court case in the Bombay High Court alleging his sister had fraudulently taken over his shares in the parent company Mahal Pictures Pvt Limited, took another dramatic turn this week when Rukhsar responded with an affidavit dismissing his charges and blaming Preity Zinta for influencing him due to "ulterior motives".

"The suit filed by the plaintiff (Shandar) is completely false, an afterthought in an attempt to resile from a sale of shares to defendant No 4 (Waseem)," Rukhsar said. "After having executed a valid transfer in favour of Waseem, he (Shandar) is being instigated by certain third parties, including Preity Zinta, with ulterior motives and oblique purposes," she added.

Presenting before the court the "correct facts" of the case, Rukhsar recounted her version of the story. In the affidavit, she said that after her father's death the three siblings - Shandar, Tajdar and Rukhsar -- were directors of Mahal Pictures with onethird share each in the company.

Two years ago, in February 2008, the eldest brother Shandar agreed to sell his shares in the company for Rs 40 crore to Kingstar Realtors Pvt Ltd, a firm owned by Mahesh Luthria of the former Sea Rock group. By the time his other siblings learnt about this arrangement, Shandar had already received an initial payment of Rs 3.5 crore from Luthria.

When the Mahal Pictures board took up the matter a few weeks later, they rejected the proposed deal on the grounds that none of the directors had the right to sell their share of the company to an outside party without looking for buyers within the family first.

Later that year, Shandar Amrohi was removed as one of the directors of the company and a deadlock remained until 2010, when Mahesh Luthria finally approached Rukhsar's son Waseem in a bid to get his money back from Shandar. Luthria told Waseem that since he was a member of the family, Mahal Pictures would have no objection if he bought the shares directly from his uncle for Rs 40 crore. In return, Luthria would get the Rs 3.5 crore he had paid Shandar at the time of the agreement.

The affidavit states that the shares were duly transferred to Waseem and on February 18, 2010 for a payment of Rs 36.5 crore to Shandar and 3.5 crore to Mahesh Luthria, who was a legal witness to the transaction. When contacted, Luthria declined to comment saying the matter was subjudice.

On the following day, February 19, Rukhsar alleges that Shandar received a phone call from his brother Tajdar seeking confirmation that he had sold his shares to Waseem.

Mahal Pictures then called a board meeting on February 25, 2010 to announce the sale and to name Waseem as one of the company's directors. While Shandar was fine with the transaction until then, Rukhsar and Waseem allege matters started getting out of hand when Tajdar (who had now in effect been reduced to a minority in the company) did not vote in favour of the transfer of shares.

Rukhsar further alleges that third parties, including Preity Zinta, started instigating Shandar to reverse the process of the same due to "ulterior motives" and "oblique purposes". Shandar has long described Zinta as his adopted daughter, and spoken about a 'spiritual bond' between them.

Shandar now says that Rukhsar and Waseem stole the original share certificates from his house on the pretext of a social visit. Tajdar, meanwhile, has filed another suit challenging the meeting. The matter has been clubbed with the Shandar's petition and will be heard by Justice R Y Ganoo.

When contacted, Tajdar told Mumbai Mirror: "The Feb 25 meeting that they are talking about never took place. We will argue this in the court as well. I have not seen the new affidavit that they (Rukhsar) have filed, but if there allegations are true, why
did I not influence my brother to sell the shares to me? Also, I want to know why Rukhsar and Waseem have created a third party interest by pledging the shares to Sanchita Realty Pvt Firm (a Pune-based firm."

Advocate General Ravi Kadam, representing Tajdar in his individual capacity, declined to comment. However, Darshan Mehta of Dhruve Liladhar & Co, which is representing Shandar, said that they would respond to the affidavit on Thursday. While Shandar and Zinta were not available for comment, Rukhsar and Waseem said they stood by the affidavit filed in court.

All parties have engaged top lawyers such as Navroje Seervai (Shandar), Iqbal Chagla (Waseem and Mahal Pictures), Ravi Kadam (Tajdar), Aspi Chinoy (Kingstar and Mahesh Luthria) and Birendra Sarraf (Rukhsar).
Also Read: Shandar Amrohi Finds Support in Actor Preity Zinta, His ‘Adopted’ Daughter

Shandar Amrohi Finds Support in Actor Preity Zinta, His ‘Adopted’ Daughter

Granddaddy Kamal Amrohi's wealth may go to Preity! Is Preity Zinta legal heir to the Kamal Amrohi’s property

The legacy of Kamaal Amrohi, who made films on epic proportions, is now stuff of a controversy, that could assume epic proportions, considering the worth of the spoils in question - a property and a business valued at over Rs 600 crore.

Shandar Amrohi, Kamal Amrohi's Son (Preity Zinta's Father?)

The legendary filmmaker’s three children - sons Shandar, Tazdar and daughter Rukhsar - have been embroiled in fierce battle in Bombay High Court.

Shandar had filed a case alleging Rukhsar and her son, Waseem, have fraudulently pledged his shares in Mahal Pictures Pvt Ltd (that owns the famous Kamaal Amrohi studio) to a company in Pune. On Friday the HC ordered that Rukhsar and her son maintain status quo.

The case opened a Pandora’s box which had the world waking up to a curious family squabble. Apart from the case in HC, the 66-year-old Shandar also approached Khar police on Wednesday to file a case of forgery against Rukhsar and Waseem.

While Shandar was struggling with the cops, he found support in actor Preity Zinta, his ‘adopted’ daughter. Zinta reached the police station, tweeting all day about how it’s been 10 days since she has been trying to register an FIR. In all this, Shandar had a staunch ally in his brother Tajdar and is all set to take the case to a logical end. Preity on her part is leaving no stone unturned to help him out. Interestingly, not long ago Shandar announced that he would bequeath all his property to the actor.

That Shandar has been playing father Christmas to the actress with whom he shared no blood ties came as a shock to many. But Shandar has his reasons.

“I noticed her in Dil Se and always felt that if I had a daughter she would be like Preity, bubbly and full of life. I watched a lot of her films and grew fond of her,” said Shandar speaking to Mumbai Mirror.

He added, “In 2005 when I was at a suburban five-star hotel, Preity walked in with her friends. My wife pointed out to me that - ‘look your daughter is here’ - and I walked up to her and spoke to her for the first time.”

However, he says that it was only in January 2010 that she suddenly called him up and sought permission to meet him at his residence. He also added he kept sending her tokens of affection in form of gifts as and when he could.

“It is a spiritual bond that I share with her. It is not easy to understand that. I am not a person who will position anyone as my daughter. It is hard to explain the way I feel about her,” he said.

Shandar explained that there was something that compelled Preity to pay him a visit in January this year and that happened after she returned from a pilgrimage. “She is part of the family. She comes to our house regularly now. And I even expressed my desire that I wish to retire now as the director of Kamalistaan (Mahal Pictures Private Ltd.) and wish to settle someplace else. I told her that I want her to take over the position and do well in life. I am even preparing to make a will to this effect where I will give her everything that I have. Anyway, daughters have a right on everything,” he said.

Shandar also told Mumbai Mirror that this is a battle not for money but for justice and Preity is helping him fight it. Tazdar who is supporting his brother in the legal battle against sister Rukhsar told Mumbai Mirror outside the court premises that he is with his brother till the end. “Whoever is guilty will be brought to the book,” he said. When quizzed about Shandar’s association with Zinta, he said, “This is a fight for what is right and just. In our religion that is the biggest thing that one can stand for. You do not need to be a family member for that, she is fighting and supporting my brother for what is right. What is wrong in that?” he added.

Rukhsar, who is in London told Mumbai Mirror that she is reaching the city on Sunday and is ready to face the situation here. “I have full faith in the judiciary, now the court will only decide who is wrong and who is right. Since the case has now been committed to the court I will not comment on that,” she said. She added that she does not accept the association between her brother and the actor. “We are Shias and there is no concept of adoption in our personal law. We have never seen his daughter at his house and he has held no ceremony to inform us about this,” she said.

She said, “The first right is that of the family members, he had no right to pick up a stranger and introduce that person as a claimant in the family. This is not allowed in our law. Who is this person and where has she come from? He should have first spoken to the family and informed us about when the ‘adoption’ if at all happened and how?” she said.

Mahal Pictures Private Limited’s company lawyer, Rizwan Siddqui said that the family is creating a dispute unnecessarily when there is no provision in the memorandum of the company to sell the shares to an outsider before obtaining an NOC from the existing share holders. “In this case the share holders are family members. First right is theirs,” said Siddiqui.

It has also been learnt from reliable sources that Rukhsar has entered into an agreement to sell her shares with a renowned power broker, associated to political parties and is also having a construction business in Pune and was recently caught by the customs department for evasion of duty. However, Rukhsar maintains that her shares are still with her.

From the court

Shandar represented by senior counsel Navroje Seervai has charged the nephew, Waseem, son of his younger sister Rukhsar that he has fraudulently transferred his shares worth Rs 40 crore to a Pune-based company.

The nephew, denied the charge claiming that the shares were transferred legitimately and there was nothing wrong in the transaction. Arguing for him senior counsel Janak Dwarkadas, however, made a statement before the court that there would not be any further transaction with respect to the shares pledged with the company.

Shandar has named his younger brother Tazdar and sister Rukhsar as party respondents in the suit being heard by single judge bench of Justice Anoop Mohta. The three of them are on the board of directors of Mahal Pictures Pvt. Ltd., which has postponed its meeting of the board of directors scheduled to be held on March 9 in view of the court case. The high court has adjourned further hearing on Shandar’s plea till March 11.