Rafale Deal: Reliance Entertainment denies financing Julie Gayet film

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Anil Ambani Group firm Reliance Entertainment refuted allegations that it had signed a pact to finance a film by French actress-producer Julie Gayet, partner of former French president Francois Hollande, in a quid pro quo deal for getting the Rafale offset contract, saying no payments were made to her.

Reports had suggested that Reliance Entertainment signed the pact with Gayet's company ahead of Hollande's 2016 India visit and India signing a pact to acquire 36 Rafale fighter aircraft under a government-to-government deal.

In a statement, Reliance Entertainment said it has not signed any agreement with Gayet or her company, Rouge International. No payment ever been made by Reliance Entertainment to either of them in relation to the film "nOmber One", it said.

Opposition Congress has been attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government over the Rafale deal, calling it a scam that favoured billionaire Anil Ambani.

Reliance Entertainment, which has financed over 50 international films, said it had "participated, through one of its partners, a French financing firm, Visvires Capital, in the film project involving famous French actor and director Serge Hazanavicius, and leading French actor Kev Adams".

"Reliance Entertainment has financed just 15 percent of the overall film budget, and paid only 1.48 million euros. The balance cost of the film budget has been financed to the extent of another 15 percent (on identical terms as Reliance) by a leading French investment firm, NJJ Capital, and the balance through sale of TV rights and pre-sales of global territories to a number of parties, tax credits, etc," the statement said.

The 1.48 million euros was "paid to Visvires Capital on December 5, 2017, as customary only about two weeks before the release of the film on December 20, 2017. President Hollande had ceased to hold office in May 2017 more than 6 months prior to the said payment", the statement said.

It said the company also received "300,000 euros from the French producer of the film for providing physical production services for extensive location shooting of the film in difficult mountainous terrain in Ladakh".

"It is deeply shocking that, to serve narrow political interests, baseless allegations have been made by deliberately distorting facts and falsely attempting to co-relate a normal business course payment of a relatively small amount of 1.48 million euros to the supply of 36 fighter jets from France to India valued at nearly 8 billion euros," the statement added.

Reliance Entertainment said at around the same time, Visvires Capital also acquired for it the rights to remake a hugely popular and successful French movie, 'La Famille Belier', which is going into production in the year 2019.

"In addition, as announced in the year 2017, Reliance Entertainment is producing an Indo-French film, 'The Interpreter', starring Kev Adams, helmed by the famous Indian director, Vikas Behl ('Queen', 'Super 30'), which is at the scripting stage," the statement said.