After battling bad reviews, Kabir Khan’s Phantom is now facing legal action. International aid organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders, is exploring legal possibilities to sue the makers of Phantom for threatening their patients and staff who work with across the globe in conflict zones.
In the film Katrina Kaif works for an organisation similar to MSF and helps Saif Ali Khan, an Indian soldier, assassinate Pakistani militants.
According to a statement give by the MSF:
- MSF India became aware of being associated Phantom after an actor (Katrina Kaif) said, during an interview, that her character in the film worked for MSF.
- Whilst MSF is not mentioned in the film, Katrina plays the role of an employee who work for an organisation called “Medicine International”.
- MSF has never been consulted or even contacted over the content of this film and is not associated with it in any way.
- Misrepresentation of humanitarian organisations like MSF could threaten the lives of their patients, staff and undermine their ability to work, especially in the world’s most sensitive conflicts where people might not otherwise have access to medical care.
Reuters reports that Katrina was quoted in an interview saying, “NGO workers have ties with local fanatical groups” in conflict regions but did not mention that many charity groups also maintain strict neutrality to work safely.
In the Phantom’s trailer, Katrina’s character is also seen using guns. MSF has said that it had “a strict no guns policy” in all its clinics and did not employ armed guards.
“None of our staff would ever carry a gun. Any portrayal that suggests otherwise is dangerous, misleading and wrong,” MSF said in a statement late on Thursday.
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