Mumbai, October 26, 2025: A serious criminal case has been registered against Abhishek Mishra, CEO of the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF), at Malvani Police Station (Malad, Mumbai). The FIR No. 1313, filed on October 23, 2025, invokes BNS 69 and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), a non ser non bailable offense pertaining to rape and sexual assault.
According to the complaint, the victim has alleged multiple incidents of rape and physical assault by Abhishek Mishra since 2021. The FIR further states that Mishra allegedly threatened to leak private photographs, made false promises of marriage, and intimidated the victim by claiming to have high-level political and bureaucratic connections through his father, Anil Mishra.
The complainant also reported that the accused portrayed himself as a Class-I Government Officer, driving a car bearing the Government of India emblem and a red beacon light, which allegedly led the victim to believe he was a powerful government official. The victim has stated she remained silent initially out of fear for her safety and the influence he claimed to hold.
This is the second rape-related FIR filed against Abhishek Mishra this year. A previous case was registered in May 2025 at Amboli Police Station, where another woman accused him of rape and extortion.
Adding to the controversy, the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival, founded and managed by Abhishek Mishra, is scheduled to hold its annual awards ceremony on October 30, 2025, at NSCI Dome, Worli, managed by Morani Brothers. Given these serious criminal allegations, the planned event has sparked public outrage and raised significant questions about the credibility and ethical legitimacy of an award show organized in the name of the legendary Father of Indian Cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke. Many within the film fraternity have expressed concern over the misuse of the revered filmmaker’s name for a privately run event now clouded by criminal proceedings.
Furthermore, records indicate that an earlier FIR was registered in February 2025 at Bandra Police Station against Abhishek Mishra and his father, Anil Mishra, for allegedly misleading sponsors, celebrities, and the public by falsely representing their event as an official national award linked to the Government of India. The complaint alleged fraudulent use of the “Dadasaheb Phalke” name to gain commercial and reputational advantage, thereby deceiving the entertainment industry and corporate partners.
With multiple FIRs now pending against the organizers, industry insiders and observers are questioning whether the upcoming Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2025 should proceed as planned.
