'Kaithi' Makers Move Bombay High Court Over 'Bholaa' Remake Rights Dispute

Chennai-based production house Dream Warrior Pictures has moved the Bombay High Court seeking a permanent injunction to restrain Reliance Entertainment Studios and others from further exploiting, streaming, or monetizing the Ajay Devgn-starrer 'Bholaa', after claiming that the underlying remake rights have reverted to it following the termination of remake rights agreements.

During the hearing on Wednesday, Justice Sharmila U. Deshmukh heard arguments on the issue of jurisdiction and reserved orders on that aspect.

The suit arises out of a dispute over the Hindi remake rights of the 2019 Tamil film Kaithi, which the plaintiff describes as “one of its most successful Tamil feature films."

According to the plaint, Reliance Entertainment (Defendant No. 1) was “solely liable to pay the entire fixed and variable consideration” under the remake rights agreements but failed to pay substantial amounts due.

Dream Warrior Pictures has contended that this non-payment led to termination of the agreements after expiry of a 30-day cure period on November 27, 2024, resulting in automatic reversion of all assigned rights, including rights in the remade film, back to it.

Despite this, the makers of the Hindi remake have continued to exploit the film across platforms, including OTT and satellite television.

The plaint states that the present suit has been filed to restrain the defendants from “exploiting, distributing, exhibiting, broadcasting, streaming, communicating to the public, or otherwise monetising” the remade film, and to seek damages and accounts of profits arising from such exploitation.

It further seeks a decree directing the defendants to disclose all “revenues, earnings, profits and other monetary gains earned or appropriated by them from exploitation” of the film.

In addition to a permanent injunction, Dream Warrior Pictures has sought damages of Rs 5 crore for alleged copyright infringement while stating that the full extent of losses can only be determined upon disclosure of accounts by the defendants.