The Amitabh Bachchan documentary, which will be screened by the Films Division of India in New Delhi when the actor will be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award next year, is being directed by Manohar Bisht who is being probed for graft.
Bisht is employed as maintenance engineer by Films Division. In 2013, a documentary made by him on the lives of disappearing film poster artists won the Special Jury Award at the 63rd National Film Awards.
Four days before Bisht was finalised to make the Bachchan documentary, he was penalised with a pay cut on the recommendation of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). The CVC found Manohar Bisht as one of the accused in its probe of allegations of financial irregularities in the purchase of Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) equipment and video equipment in Films Division over several years. The CVC noted that the Films Division probe appeared like an effort to “protect delinquent officials”. Bisht has been under the radar since 2001. He was transferred from Bombay to Calcutta the same year but the transfer order was kept in abeyance. He was finally transferred in 2002 but was brought back to Bombay two years later. In 2005, Films Division moved its maintenance headquarters from Calcutta to Bombay even as penalties against Bisht and others were recommended by the CVC the same year. In 2012, the CVC said, it had noted “deliberate efforts” by the authorities to protect the officials.