Eros sues director over calling 'Tere Ishk...' 'Raanjhanaa's 'spiritual sequel'
What's the story
Eros International Media Ltd has filed a lawsuit in the Bombay High Court against Aanand L Rai and his production company, Colour Yellow Media Entertainment LLP, reported The Times of India. The studio alleges that the defendants have infringed upon its intellectual property rights by marketing their film Tere Ishk Mein as a "spiritual sequel" to Raanjhanaa without permission. In the suit, Eros is demanding ₹84 crore in damages from Rai.
Ownership dispute
Eros claims ownership of 'Raanjhanaa' intellectual property rights
Eros claims to be the "exclusive owner of all intellectual property rights" in Raanjhanaa, including copyright, dialogues, trademarks, characters, and sequel/remake rights. The suit states: "The Plaintiff is the producer and exclusive owner of all intellectual property rights in the highly successful Hindi language film Raanjhanaa, including, without limitation... copyright, registered trademark rights in Raanjhanaa."
Unauthorized usage
Eros alleges unauthorized use of 'Raanjhanaa' for 'Tere Ishk Mein'
Eros claims that the defendants have misused its rights to promote Tere Ishk Mein, which was released on November 28, 2025. The lawsuit mentions: "The Defendants have made unauthorized use of the Applicant's Rights / Applicant's Film/brand/mark Raanjhanaa for the promotion...of the Impugned Film titled Tere Ishk Mein." The interim application also states that the teaser for Tere Ishk Mein used phrases like "From the world of Raanjhanaa" and hashtags such as "#WorldOfRaanjhanaaa."
Infringement claims
Eros alleges copyright and trademark infringement in 'Tere Ishk Mein'
Eros also claims that Tere Ishk Mein used footage, background score, from Raanjhanaa without permission. The studio argues that the characters played by Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub in both films are too similar, constituting a "clear violation" of its exclusive rights. It also alleges that Dhanush's character in Tere Ishk Mein is similar to his character Kundan Shankar in Raanjhanaa, along with similar emotional arcs, dialogues, and themes.
Legal action
Eros issued cease-and-desist notice before 'Tere Ishk Mein' release
Eros stated it issued a cease-and-desist on July 25, 2025, with follow-up reminders in September. Although some references were removed from promotional material, the movie allegedly still carried strong similarities upon its release. After watching Tere Ishk..., Eros claims it found "extensive copyright and trademark infringement," alleging that the film was repeatedly described and projected as a "spiritual sequel." To recall, Eros and Rai were also at loggerheads recently over the AI-generated ending of Raanjhanaa in the Tamil re-release version.