FIR filed in ‘Hera Pheri’ copyright dispute after Nadiadwala complaint

The 62-year-old producer alleged that the accused falsely claimed ownership of the film and are attempting to extract money, which, he said, could damage his financial interests, reputation, and brand value

MUMBAI: The long-running legacy of Hera Pheri has taken a contentious turn off-screen, with filmmaker Firoz Nadiadwala accusing producers Gopala Pillai Vijaykumar and M. Paul Michael falsely claimed ownership of the Malayalam classic ‘Ramji Rao Speaking,’ the original inspiration behind the Bollywood hit. Based on the complaint, the Amboli police have registered an FIR on Tuesday against the duo over alleged cheating and extortion attempts.

FIR filed in ‘Hera Pheri’ copyright dispute after Nadiadwala complaint

The 62-year-old producer alleged that the accused falsely claimed ownership of the film and are attempting to extract money, which, he said, could damage his financial interests, reputation, and brand value.

As per the FIR, Nadiadwala, who owns Empire Studio in Andheri West, was approached by director Priyadarshan in 1997 with the story of Hera Pheri, which was completed between 1998 and 2000.

The FIR states that the film is based on the 1989 Malayalam movie Ramji Rao Speaking, originally made under M/s Sarga Chitra, where M. Paul Michael and Siddique K.L. alias Lal were partners.

Nadiadwala stated that remake rights of the Malayalam film were sold in 1993 to M/s Compact Disc India Limited. He said his company legally acquired the rights on March 24, 2000, for ₹4.50 lakh, excluding Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.

According to the complaint, Nadiadwala received a copyright violation notice on December 30, 2024. In October 2025, Vijaykumar moved the Madras High Court, claiming that M/s Seven Arts International Limited had acquired rights to Ramji Rao Speaking in 2022 for ₹3 lakh.

Nadiadwala has called the claim false and alleged that the accused are now demanding ₹60 lakh and a 25% profit share from Hera Pheri.

Following which, on Tuesday, the Amboli police registered a case against Gopala Pillai Vijaykumar and M. Paul Michael under Sections 318(4) (cheating), 356 (defamation), and 3(5) (general explanation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.