Ekta Kapoor on Mission Over Mars poster row: Legally bound to not use actual image

Ekta Kapoor has been trolled over the use of wrong rocket in the poster of her upcoming web series M.O.M. - Mission Over Mars. She says her team cannot use the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket for representation due to legal boundaries.

On her birthday on June 7, Ekta had unveiled the show's poster and written that she had decided to make the project two-and-half years ago when she chanced upon the "amazing story about women in Indian science". The poster, released last week, featured what appears to be a Russian Soyuz launch vehicle with the Indian flag superimposed on it.

"This show is on the women who sent the mission to Mars -- partly fictional keeping in mind the sacrosanct nature of ISRO," she had written. Soon, some netizens pointed out the use of the wrong rocket in its poster.

Ekta, Joint Managing Director, ALTBalaji, tweeted on Wednesday: "Cannot use the ISRO rocket! Legal boundaries!"

In a statement, ALTBalaji's spokesperson said, "Our upcoming show is a fictional adaptation of the real-life heroes at ISRO who worked on Mangalyaan and set a major milestone putting India firmly on the global map. However, as a strategic call taken by multiple parties, we have gone down the fiction route for this show.

"Additionally, we are legally bound not to use actual names or images of either the people, objects or agencies involved. Keeping in mind our contractual obligations, publicity material of the show was designed," said the spokesperson.

Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), the maiden interplanetary mission of ISRO, launched on November 5, 2013, entered the Martian orbit on September 24, 2014 in its first attempt.