'498A- The wedding gift' not inspired by my life: Ilyasi

Former TV host Suhaib Ilyasi, who is turning director with '498A- The wedding gift' - a film on the misuse of dowry law - says he has not taken inspiration from his real life story for the film.
Ilyasi, 47, was booked under the same section many years ago after the death of his wife.
"I am a victim of 498A, so I can feel the pain one goes through. I realised how the law was misused in my case. How easy it was for my in-laws to use it against me to seek custody of my daughter.
"I wrote the story because it was coming from my heart. But it is not my story at all. My film is not an attempt to show my innocence," Ilyasi told PTI.

Having started his career in TV with one of the most popular shows of '90s 'India's Most Wanted', Ilyasi became a household name on the small screen. But his life changed after his wife allegedly committed suicide and he was booked under the dowry section.
Ilyasi claims that '498A- The wedding gift' tells the story of his friend, who became a victim of the misuse of the law.

"I have been doing research on this film for last three years. There was a friend, who got married through social networking site. He came to know later that this woman was earlier married to three other men before tying the knot with him. His marriage turned into a sour affair after the woman started extorting money. He later committed suicide," he said.

Through this film Ilyasi hopes to see a new law under the same section to curb the misuse of the existing law.
The film also marks the acting debut of Ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali Khan. It also stars veteran actors like Farida Jalal, Alok Nath and Reema Lagoo.
"Though we don't have star power but we are confident that this film has the capacity to make an impact on the audience's mind. I have taken some of the best actors of the industry in the film with Ghulam Ali sahab, who will be acting for the first time. He is a stage person, so it wasn't a tough job for him," Ilyasi said.

The release date of the film is yet to be decided. Apart from this film, Ilyasi is also in talks with a channel to make a comeback on TV.