Phantom Studios seeks injunction against Kangana Ranaut’s ‘Queen Forever’

The purported sequel to ‘Queen’ is being produced by Jiostar India Pvt Ltd, co-producer of the 2014 film, and like the original, stars Kangana Ranaut

MUMBAI: Phantom Studios India Private Limited, co-producer of the 2014 box-office hit ‘Queen’ starring Kangana Ranaut, on Tuesday moved the Bombay High Court, seeking an urgent injunction against the production and release of a purported sequel to the film, titled ‘Queen Forever’.

Kangana Ranaut (HT PHOTO)

The purported sequel is being produced by Jiostar India Pvt Ltd, co-producer of ‘Queen’, and like the original film, stars Kangana Ranaut.

According to the suit filed by Phantom Studios through advocate Rohan Dakshini, they and Jiostar India Pvt Ltd were joint and equal owners of 50% of all intellectual property rights in ‘Queen’. The co-production agreement expressly and unambiguously provided that derivative rights in the film – including the right to create sequels, prequels, remakes, or any other work based on the film or its characters, story or other elements – vest jointly and equally in both the parties, the suit said.

Phantom Studios described ‘Queen’ as a critically acclaimed and commercially successful film that has acquired substantial goodwill since 2014. The studio said it had not given consent for any sequels, adaptations or derivative works on the film; it had also issued several caution notices to Jiostar since April 2026 to cease and desist from proceeding with purported plans for making a sequel or any other content that was likely to create any association with ‘Queen’. Despite the notices, Jiostar refused to disclose any details of the project, Phantom Studios said.

“Jiostar has engaged Vikas Bahl as its (the sequel’s) director and Kangana Ranaut as the lead actress, all without Phantom studios’s consent. It has caused the commencement of principal photography and shooting, again without our consent. The derivative rights, being jointly owned, Jiostar had no authority to take any of these steps unilaterally. Every step taken towards the development and production of ‘Queen Forever’ amounts to a direct and continuing breach of the terms of the novated co-production agreement,” the suit filed by Phantom Studios said.

Citing extreme urgency as the film is reportedly scheduled for release in a few months, Phantom Studios sought temporary injunction restraining Jiostar, the producer, and the representatives, from taking any step towards “making, developing, producing, shooting, completing, releasing, distributing, broadcasting, streaming, marketing, promoting, advertising, or exploiting” the “sequel, prequel, remake, adaptation or derivative work” under the title ‘Queen Forever’ or ‘Queen 2’ without its prior written consent.

Responding to the allegations, a Jiostar spokesperson told HT, “StarStudio18 is presently working with Kangana Ranaut on a fresh production that is an original, independent story. It has no narrative, character or creative connection to any prior work, and is neither a sequel nor a prequel to any existing title.”

The word ‘queen’ was a part of the English language and no party can claim exclusive ownership over a common noun and such claim has no basis in law, the spokesperson said, adding, “JioStar is aware of the litigation and will defend its position through the appropriate legal process. We have full confidence in the merits of our case.”