MSF 'disturbed' by Bollywood action thriller

The Indian movie "Phantom" includes in its cast of characters a fictional aid worker appearing to be part of the humanitarian medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). She is seen helping an Indian soldier kill Pakistani militants.

The lead female character, played by British-Indian actress Katrina Kaif, is seen firing a gun and a rifle in the trailer for the Bollywood blockbuster.

MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, emphasized that it was not associated with the movie in any way.

"The only way we can safely work in places such as Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen, where there is active fighting, is by explaining to every group on the ground that we are independent, neutral and impartial," MSF said on its website on Friday.

"None of our staff would ever carry a gun. Any portrayal that suggests otherwise is dangerous, misleading and wrong," and could "endanger" patients and staff, MSF added.

The international aid organization also announced it had contacted the "Phantom" production team and was "taking legal action" to correct the portrayal of the MSF character.

It was not immediately clear what sort of correction MSF had demanded. The movie was released in India on Friday.

Movie villain

The movie "Phantom" is based on the Indian novel "Mumbai Avengers," and tells the story of Indian spies targeting Pakistani militants responsible for the Mumbai bombings in 2008.

The villain in the movie is called Hariz Saeed, an obvious allusion to Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attacks.

Last week, a Pakistani court banned the movie in the Muslim country, after Saeed complained that the movie was Indian propaganda aimed at himself and Pakistan.

The US has set a $10 million (8.8 million euro) bounty on Saeed's head over his alleged involvement in the bombings.

dj/jm (Reuters, AP)