Diamond, Greed And Corruption - Business Law Reflection On Blood Money
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DIAMOND, GREED AND CORRUPTION: BUSINESS LAW
REFLECTION ON BLOOD MONEY Shreya Sadhukhan, LL.M., Amity Law School, Amity University, Kolkata, India Samriddhi Majumder, LL.M., Amity Law School, Amity University, Kolkata, India
ABSTRACT
This paper is focused on reviewing the movie Blood Money in the business law perspective, which is directed by Vishal Mahadkar and released on 2012. The movie is related to a diamond trading business which is situated in Cape town, South Africa. This movie portray how the corporate greed leads to criminality, corruption and unethical business practice. Though the film is a fictional but it beautifully portrays the business law principles such as corporate criminality, the business ethics and the unchecked corporate greed. This review is helpful for academic discussions about the corporate ethics and the rule of law in globalised economy. Keywords: Corporate Greed, Corruption, Business Law, Business Ethics, Blood Money, Money Laundering, Corporate Crime.
Film information Title – Blood Money Director – Vishal Mahadkar Producer – Mukesh Bhatt Release year – Length –
109 minutes
Genre – Crime thriller Blood money is a bollywood movie directed by Vishal Mahadkar. This movie is crime thrilling movie, presenting that an ambitious young man Kunal(the role acted by Kunal Khemu) who came in Capetown with his wife Arzoo ( the character played by Amrita Puri). Kunal get a job opportunity in Capetown through his friend Sean in a diamond trading company. He expected that his life would change and getting an opportunity to live a life like a wealthy person. But the movie entails that ultimately he got tangled in a web of corruption in international business. In the perspective of business law this movie entails the legal issues like corporate fraud, contract manipulation, smuggling and trafficking of diamond, business mafia crimes and other.
This movie review unveils the exploitation of legal structure by the corporation for immense profit and dealing with the dark side of corporate power and business ethics. Corporate Greed Corporate Greed is the term used to describe when high-ranking executives exploit business resources or management techniques for their own benefit. Investors and other stakeholders may suffer the most when CEOs or other senior managers embezzle, commit fraud, or utilise business funds as a personal bank account. 1
1 John P. Navin,Corporate Kleptocracy, Jan 26, 2025,
https://www. investopedia. com/terms/c/corporatekleptocracy. asp In this movie also portraying that the head of the company, Mr. Zaveri is so greedy that all of the above he prioritise profit over ethics. In the business world he is very powerful, rich, ruthless and cunning person. He controls the employees and maintain their loyalty towards the business by unknowing to them that they are entangled to the web of illegal business. For the profit he engaged in smuggling, fraud, and various other criminal activities this portray how the greed loose a person’s morality. This showing the dark side of capitalism and the danger of blind ambition. On the other hand, the greed is also destroying Kunal in the movie. Kunal was a simple layman who struggle a lot in his past time in Bombay so he craved to making a lots of money and living a luxurious lifestyle.
The lured of high payment somewhat he lost and engaged himself in the unlawful activities of the business. This portray that the lucrative offer and money made a person so greedy that he become so blind that they are ready to compromise their ethics, moral and ready to engaged in the unlawful means. Contract In the movie, contracts are very important, especially when it comes to how they are used to entangle workers in a corrupt system. Kunal's job contract, which at first glance appears to be a dream come true, quickly turns into a coercive instrument that links him to a criminal organisation. The implied pressure to comply with the company's illegal activities shows the misuse of contractual obligations, even though the contract may not specifically mention any illegal terms.
Furthermore, Kunal runs the risk of breaking his contract and suffering reprisals when he chooses to reveal the company's wrongdoings. However, the legal principle of ex turpi causa non oritur actio (no action arises from an illegal cause) renders any contract involving illegal activities null and void. The film vividly demonstrates the ways in which corporations may leverage contracts to benefit themselves at the expense of their legal and ethical obligations, highlighting the significance of corporate governance and whistle-blower protection under business law. Lifting of corporate veil Frauds and improper or illegal acts are committed using the company's corporate personality. Since an artificial person cannot commit any crimes or fraud, it may be necessary to remove the corporate personality facade in order to expose the true criminals.
This is referred to as "lifting of the corporate veil. "2 In order to avoid direct legal responsibility, the company's boss, Zaveri, in the film, conceals his illegal activities through the corporate structure. However, it becomes evident that the company's corporate identity is only a front for personal gain as Kunal discovered the truth. From a legal perspective, courts might use the lifting of the corporate veil principle to hold Zaveri and other executives personally liable, and they would be subject to criminal prosecution under laws pertaining to white-collar crime, corporate fraud, and money laundering. This would ensure that they are held directly accountable for their actions and stop them from hiding behind the company's legal status.
As the movies are not related to the real world; the actor, Kunal himself lift the corporate veil and bring out the Zaveri out of the veil, and he deceitfully used his name zaveri instead of Rajan Zakaria. Criminality: - The criminality in the movie is primarily driven by the pursuit of money and power, leading characters to engage in illegal activities like robbery and theft. The dynamics within the group also emphasize the betrayal that often comes with criminal acts, showing how trust can quickly erode in such high-stakes environments. The film also touches on the psychological toll that criminality takes on the individuals involved. As the story progresses, the characters face the repercussions of their actions, with some experiencing intense moral dilemmas.
Their attempts to escape the criminal world become increasingly complicated, adding layers of tension and drama to the narrative. In summary, Blood Money portrays criminality not just as illegal actions, but as a destructive force that affects relationships, personal integrity, and mental well-being. In the 2012 Bollywood film Blood Money, directed by Vishal Mahadkar, criminality plays a central role in the narrative. The story follows the life of a young man, Kunal, who is lured into the world of crime by the promise of wealth and success. He eventually becomes involved in the illegal activities of a corrupt businessman.
2 Simran Singh Chandel, Lifting of Corporate Veil of the Companies in India, Jan 6, 2021,
https://lawbhoomi. com/lifting-of-corporate-veil-of-the-companies-in-india/ Criminality in Blood Money: Corruption and Greed: The film explores how the desire for money can corrupt an individual's values. Kunal, initially an innocent and hardworking person, is drawn into a life of crime by his employer, who runs a money-laundering operation. The film highlights how the lure of easy money can lead people to make morally compromising decisions. Money Laundering and White Coller Crime: A central criminal activity in the movie is money laundering, where illegal money is funneled through seemingly legitimate businesses to hide its criminal origins. Kunal gets involved in this process and begins to operate in a world of deceit, fraud, and violence. Also the diamond trading in exchange of illegal arm sale is fall under the purview of the Act Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
Betrayal: Kunal's journey into criminality is also marked by betrayal. He initially believes that his actions are justified, but as he becomes more entangled in the criminal underworld, he is betrayed by people he trusted. This sense of betrayal highlights the dangers of the criminal world, where loyalty is fragile and everyone has their own agenda. Moral Conflict: Throughout the movie, Kunal faces a significant moral dilemma. While the financial rewards of criminal activity tempt him, he struggles with his conscience, especially as he witnesses the destructive consequences of his actions on those around him. The film delves into the internal conflict that arises when one is involved in illegal activities and the eventual realization of how deeply one's actions can harm others.
Violence and Consequences: As the plot unfolds, Kunal’s involvement in crime leads to violence and loss, further emphasizing the destructive impact of criminal actions. The film shows that while criminality may bring short-term gains, the long-term consequences— whether in terms of personal relationships, mental peace, or physical safety—are often devastating. Conclusion In summary, Blood Money is a tale of ambition, greed, and the corrosive effects of crime. The movie portrays how easy it is to get drawn into criminal activities for the promise of wealth and how this journey ultimately leads to moral decay and the destruction of personal integrity. This movie giving an idea about the white collar crime which is way more different from the traditional crimes. Though the movie is a fictional still its narrated as an real world issue of corporate greed, corruption and criminality.