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Child Abuse in Film: Olivia Hussey, star of the 1968 Hollywood film ‘Romeo and Juliet’, has sued the makers of the film for filming obscene scenes. In the film, Juliet was played by Olivia Hussey and Romeo was played by Leonard Whiting. They allege that producer Paramount Pictures had filmed obscene scenes by deceiving them.
The actors have sued the producer-director over the nude scenes in the 1968 Hollywood film ‘Romeo Juliet’.New Delhi. Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey were teenagers when the film ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was released in 1968. This film received worldwide praise. It also received an Oscar Award. The acting of both the child actors playing the lead characters in the film based on the famous English novel was also appreciated. But these days a controversy has erupted regarding this film and the filming of some of its scenes. Both the artists are now elderly. But he has accused Paramount Pictures, the producer of the film ‘Romeo and Juliet’, of child sexual abuse.
According to BBC report, both the child actors of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ have today reached their seventh decade of life. Both the actors have alleged that the film’s director Franco Zeffirilli instigated them to do nude scenes. Whereas the proposal to shoot such a scene was not given earlier. Both the actors have sued the film’s producer Paramount Pictures and director Franco Zeffirilli regarding this. Also a compensation of 50 crore dollars has been sought. However, Paramount Pictures has not yet given any reply in this matter.
There is controversy over the bedroom scene
Regarding the scene of the film ‘Romeo and Juliet’ on which controversy has arisen after 54 years, both the actors say that they were not warned about such a scene in advance. According to the BBC report, the film’s director Jeffrey had told before the filming of this scene that she would be made to wear skin-coloured undergarments. But on the day this scene was shot, the director said that only body-makeup would be done. The camera will be placed in such a way that scenes of nudity will not be visible. Both the actors allege that when the final print of the film came before its release, it contained nude scenes of both the child actors. When both of them raised objection on this, it was said that if this scene was not there then the film would flop.
Both the actors are past 70
Both the actors who played the lead roles in the film ‘Romeo and Juliet’ have today reached their seventh decade of life. Leonard Whiting, who played the role of Romeo, was 16 years old then, he is now 72. Whereas, Olivia Hussey, who played the role of Juliet, was 15 years old in the year 1968, she is currently 71 years old.
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Active in print and digital journalism for more than one and a half decade. Entry into the newspaper world from Madhya Pradesh, active role in Hindi newspapers in Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Gujarat.read more
