Karnataka HC gives breather to Darshan; 'Boss' release halted
What's the story
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday heard an appeal from actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and his wife Vijayalakshmi against the vacation of an interim injunction that had previously stalled the release of the Kannada film Boss. The hearing saw the film's producer giving an undertaking not to release it until June 30, providing temporary relief to the petitioners. The dispute arose from Thoogudeepa's claim that Boss is similar to the ongoing Renukaswamy murder case involving him.
Court proceedings
Next hearing is on June 30
During the hearing, senior counsel Vivek Subba Reddy, representing Siri Productions (the film's producer), orally undertook that Boss would not be released until June 30. The High Court accepted this statement and posted the matter for further hearing on June 30. This decision provided temporary relief to Thoogudeepa and his wife. Thoogudeepa had initially approached a Bengaluru trial court claiming that Boss resembles the ongoing Renukaswamy murder case. The bench granted an ad-interim injunction restraining the release in March.
Legal details
Thoogudeepa's counsel highlights similarities between film and murder case
However, on May 2, the trial court dismissed the stay application and vacated the order. Thoogudeepa's counsel argued in the High Court that the trial court ignored audiovisual material showing 13 similarities between Boss and real-life events. The petition also stated that references in the teaser and the "inspired by true events" claim could lead viewers to associate Boss with Thoogudeepa's personal life, affecting his reputation and right to a fair trial.
Case details
Thoogudeepa: Accused in murder case, last seen in 'The Devil'
Thoogudeepa, along with Pavithra Gowda and others, is an accused in the Renukaswamy murder case. A big fan of Thoogudeepa, Renukaswamy was attacked and killed for making offensive comments against Gowda. Meanwhile, Thoogudeepa was last seen in The Devil, a political action thriller written and directed by Prakash Veer and produced by Veer and J. Jayamma under the banners of Sri Jaimatha Combines, Vaishno Studios, and Saregama.