The first family of Indian cinema, the Bachchan parivar, will not attend the Filmfare Awards in protest of the "false" report published by a Mumbai-based tabloid about Aishwarya Rai's health.
Aishwarya, who was to perform at the awards has pulled out from the event and the Bachchans have served a legal notice to the newspaper and are demanding a public apology. The tabloid and Filmfare both belong to the same publishing group, who are organising the award ceremony.
"The lawyers notice has been delivered... seeking on a legal plane retraction and apology and we have informed Filmfare that neither will Aishwarya be performing at the event, for which all preparations had been made and neither shall any of us be attending," wrote Amitabh Bachchan on his blog. The tabloid had published an article stating that Aishwarya is suffering from stomach tuberculosis and therefore cannot conceive, a news branded as "completely false" by father-in-law Amitabh.
"For the moment that despite a few personal apologies from management and owners, no public apology has taken place. You cannot abuse me in public and then come and say sorry to me in private," wrote the veteran actor.
The Bachchans are being supported by R Balki, director of Amitabh and Abishek-starrer Paa, who too will skip the event despite his film being nominated in 5 categories.
"Balki, the director of the film, even when Paa has been nominated in five categories for the evening, is not attending. Thank you Balki," added Bachchan.
