NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Thursday refused to stay release of film 'The White Tiger' tonight on OTT platform Netflix on a plea by Hollywood producer John Hart Jr alleging copyright violation.
In an urgent hearing conducted late evening, Justice C Hari Shankar dismissed the stay application by the producer saying not a single reason was shown to approach the court less than 24 hours before release of the film.
The court, which heard the matter for over two hours, issued summons to the producer of the film Mukul Deora and Netflix where it will be released tonight.
it listed the matter for completion of pleadings before the joint registrar on March 22.
The film 'The White Tiger' is based on the book 'The White Tiger' which was released in March 2008.
The court said, "It is not possible for this court to come to the finding, based on the material on record, that by making and releasing the film, the defendants have indulged in copyright infringement."
The court said Deora and Netflix are allowed to release the film and are directed to keep detailed accounts of the film so that if at a later stage, Hart Jr succeeds, the court can determine the monetary compensation.
It also said that on a holistic consideration of facts, especially as the plaintiffs have chosen to approach the court less than 24 hours before the release of the film, they have not been able to make out a case for an ad-interim injunction on release of the movie.
AP
This image released by Netflix shows Adarsh Gourav, left, and Priyanka Chopra in a scene from 'The White Tiger'.
Advocate Kapil Sankhla, representing Hart Jr, said that a literary auction agreement was executed between him and author of the book Aravinda Adiga in March 2009 and he had to make it an Oscar worthy film to be released in Hollywood.
He said it was only in October 2019, that he came to know that Netflix was in the process of making and releasing the film on Over The Top (OTT) platform and this resulted in sending a legal notice to Deora and Netflix to seize and desist from any such act.
Sankhla, also representing Sonia Mudbhatkal who runs a US Production Company, said his clients were never given an impression that shooting of a film was going on in 2020 as all such works were put on hold abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic and this resulted in copyright infringement.
He sought to stay the release of the film saying it will not cause any serious financial ramifications to the defendants as the movie is to be released on OTT and not on theatres.
Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Deora, opposed the suit saying the cause of action arose in October 2019 itself and the plaintiffs have approached the court at the 11th hour which is not permissible.
He added that Hart Jr has concealed various relevant documents from the court and placed a one sided story and that no cause of granting ad-interim injunction was made out.
Advocate Saikrishna Rajagopal, representing Netflix, adopted the arguments advanced by Sethi and added that the OTT film release involves huge finances and goodwill and no stay should be granted.
After hearing all the parties, the court said it cannot arrive at a view that the defendants have prima facie infringed the copyrights of plaintiffs by making and releasing the film.
"I am prima facie inclined to agree with Mr. Sethi that if release of the movie is stalled at this stage, it will cause serious and irreparable consequences to the defendants," the judge said.
From ‘Sooryavanshi’ To ‘Laal Singh Chadda’, 7 Films Releasing In 2021 That Will Cure The 20...
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2021: The Year Of Hope
2020 has been a harsh year for more reasons than one. The coronavirus-induced economic slowdown, the nationwide lockdown and the global population spending most of its waking hours indoors were some of the many factors that made 2020 challenging.
Bollywood, too, was hit by the pandemic. Several of the much-awaited films which were due to release this year were pushed to 2021 by their respective producers. We have prepared a comprehensive list of Bollywood films that are expected to release in 2021.
Whether these films will release on OTT (Over The Top content) platforms first or go for a direct theatre release (that is, if the new Covid strain remains in control), is not yet known. However, what is known for sure is that these films will keep the entertainment quotient high. Here they are:
Directed by Rohit Shetty, ‘Sooryavanshi’ will bring the film-maker’s rather ambitious cop story to life. The film marks Katrina Kaif’s return after a long hiatus as she plays the leading lady.
The film was expected to release on March 27 this year, but was delayed due to the coronavirus lockdown. While the release date of the cop film hasn’t been finalised yet, trade analyst Taran Adarsh feels that the Akshay Kumar-starrer will be released in March 2021.
‘‘83’
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone
Based on India’s first World Cup win in 1983, the Kabir Khan-directorial was expected to release in April this year but was shelved due to the pandemic.
Since then, rumours mills on the Internet were running overtime and speculations are rife that the film might release on popular OTT platforms. However, the makers seem adamant on releasing the film in cinemas.
‘‘83’ marks the first time Padukone and Singh are coming together on screen after tying the knot in 2018.
Industry analysts predict that ‘’83’ could open in the first quarter of 2021. Several posters of Singh playing the legendary cricketer Kapil Dev have also been released as promotional material.
‘Laal Singh Chaddha’
Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan
Often called Bollywood’s ‘Mr. Perfectionist’, Aamir Khan’s last film’ Thugs of Hindostan’ failed to impress even his loyal fans. Come Christmas 2021, the megastar has the remake of Tom Hanks-starrer ‘Forrest Gump’ in store.
Shot across multiple locations and countries including Turkey, the film was slated to release this year but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The film shows Khan in a new avatar of a Sikh man. The film wrapped up shooting in October. The leading lady Kareena Kapoor Khan said that shooting in the middle of the pandemic was risky but worth it.
All eyes on Christmas 2021? You bet!
‘Brahmastra’
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor
After Karan Johar’s magnum opus ‘Kalank’ failed to impress the audience and critics back in 2019, the producer is all set to release ‘Brahmastra’, the first part of an ambitious trilogy which stars real-life couple Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor as the leading pair.
On March 6, 2019, the couple and director Ayan Mukherjee flew to Prayagraj for the unveiling of the Brahmastra logo. Around 150 drones lit up the sky to form the film's logo at Kumbh on Mahashivratri. The film was initially set to release in May 2020 but was pushed.
PTI
AP
