In a suit filed by Super Cassettes Industries Pvt. Ltd (T-Series), the Delhi High Court today restrained Vashu Bhagnani owned Pooja Film Company and Pooja Entertainment & Films Ltd. from interfering with the distribution and release of the films “Fanney Khan” as well as “Batti Gul Meter Chalu”, both of which are scheduled to release next month.
The suit was filed by T-Series pursuant to certain public notices issued by Vashu Bhagnani (reported here) asking theatre owners not to enter into any agreements to release these films. In the suit, T-Series claimed that Vashu Bhagnani was interfering in the release and distribution of these films by issuing these baseless public notices. T- Series argued that these public notices amounted an unlawful interference with the film by Vashu Bhaganani and was creating tremendous uncertainty and suspicion over the rights owned by T-Series in these films, thereby resulting in losses for them. Vashu Bhagnani had apparently also served legal notices to T-Series, Kriarj Entertainment and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s production house last month claiming to have acquired rights in these films from Kriarj last year itself.
When contacted, Advocate Neel Mason of Mason & Associates, who appeared for T-Series said that “Our case is quite simple. T-series is producing “Batti Gul Meter Chalu” and “Fanney Khan” with Kriarj and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Productions, under written agreements, all of which were executed much prior in time than Vashu Bhagnani’s alleged agreements. These agreements prohibited Kriarj from entering into any agreements with any third party without the written consent of T-series. Therefore, any agreement that Kriarj may have entered into with Vashu ji’s companies, are void in law and cannot supersede our client’s rights. Our Client cannot be made to suffer for third party agreements which are void ab initio .”
The Delhi High Court, while observing that a lot of such matters were suddenly coming up before it involving claims made by multiple third party investors in these films has restrained Pooja Films and Pooja Entertainment & Films Ltd. from issuing any notice or making any claims in relation to these films.
As reported earlier here, The Delhi High Court vide its order dated May 31, 2018 had restrained Kriarj Entertainment, Easy Trip Planners Pvt. Ltd and Gothic Entertainment from interfering in the completion of the film ‘Batti Gul Meter Chalu’ and its exploitation of rights by Super Cassettes Industries Pvt. Ltd qua distribution. The matter was eventually settled between the parties out of court.
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