Housefull TV premiere in trouble?

The world premiere of Housefull on television might not be allowed due to copyright issues for the song Apni Toh Jaise Taise. Here are the details.

The world premiere of Housefull on television might not be allowed due to copyright issues for the song Apni Toh Jaise Taise. Apparently, unless lines from the song are not cut out, the blockbuster cannot be aired on television this Sunday.

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A recent High Court ruling in Kolkata has stated that the film cannot be premiered on national television on Sunday, August 29, if lines from the remixed version of the song Apni Toh Jaise Taise are not deleted from the film, reported the Mumbai Mirror.

The lines are lifted from the song in Prakash Mehra's film Laawaris starring Amitabh Bachchan, which goes by the same name.

"Yes. This is true. The matter is still subjudice. The film cannot be aired on national television, with the infringed copyright material in question or else it will amount to contempt of court," Prakash's son Punit Mehra confirmed to the tabloid.

This means that either the lines in question or the entire song will have to be left out. However, producer of Housefull Sajid Nadiadwala was rather unperturbed when he said, "Once the film was released theatrically, which was done peacefully and successfully in March, it became the property of Eros International, which owns the world satellite rights of the film. Eros International will now decide what to do."

Puneet then moved court alleging Sa Re Ga Ma had flouted copyright norms by allowing Nadiadwala to use this song. However, Nadiadwala went into appeal. A division bench of the High Court granted permission for the release of the film, reported the tabloid.

Sunil Lulla, Managing Director of Eros International (India) said, "The lines in question will be clipped. But Housefull will have a television premiere this Sunday."