HC refers copyright suit over 'Dhurandhar 2' song to mediation
What's the story
The Delhi High Court has referred a copyright infringement suit filed by Trimurti Films against B62 Studios and T-Series to mediation. The suit alleges unauthorized use of the song Tirchi Topiwale from the film Tridev in Rang De Lal (Oye Oye) from Dhurandhar 2. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, who heard the case on Thursday, said that the dispute appears to be financial in nature and can be resolved through mediation. Parties must appear at HC mediation center on April 22.
Legal proceedings
The court's directions to the defendants
The court declined to grant an interim injunction, noting that Dhurandhar 2 has already been released in theaters and that the producers do not plan an OTT release until mid-May. "It is directed that the defendants shall maintain their record of accounts of all the possible and plausible exploitation taking place from the time when the movie was launched i.e. March 19 till the decision is reached by this court."
Dispute details
Trimurti Films claimed limited rights assigned to T-Series
Trimurti Films claimed that under a 1988 agreement for Tridev, it had granted T-Series only limited rights to the sound recording, specifically for exploitation via cassettes and gramophone records. Senior advocate Akhil Sibal, representing T-Series, opposed the interim relief, arguing that Trimurti Films concealed previous instances of similar songs from Tridev being used in other films. The suit will next be heard on May 6.
Song details
Legal battle over 'Oye Oye'
The legal dispute revolves around the song Oye Oye, co-composed by Kalyanji-Anandji and Viju Shah, with lyrics by Anand Bakshi. Originally featured in Rajiv Rai's 1989 film Tridev, the song was sung by Amit Kumar and Sapna Mukherjee. Meanwhile, despite the ongoing legal dispute, Dhurandhar 2 has been doing exceptionally well at the box office. The film, directed by Aditya Dhar, stars Ranveer Singh, Rakesh Bedi, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, among others.