Bombay HC says it has jurisdiction to hear suit raised by makers of Kaithi against Bholaa over copyright agreements

The makers of Kaithi had moved the Bombay High Court accusing the makers of the film's remake, Bholaa, of violating copyright and remake rights.

A legal dispute emerged last month when Dream Warrior Pictures, the producers of the Tamil film Kaithi, moved the Bombay High Court against the makers of the Hindi remake Bholaa (Ajay Devgn Ffilms/ Reliance Entertainment) for alleged breach of contract and copyright infringement. As per the latest update from Bar and Bench, the Bombay High Court has responded to the matter and said that it does have jurisdiction to hear Dream Warrior Pictures’ suit.

Ajay Devgn-starrer Bholaa was the remake of Karthi-starrer Kaithi.

What did the Bombay High Court say?

Bar and Bench reported on Friday, “The Bombay High Court has held that it does have jurisdiction to hear Dream Warrior Pictures’ suit against Reliance Entertainment and Ajay Devgn Ffilms over Bholaa, the 2023 Hindi remake of Tamil hit Kaithi. Justice Sharmila Deshmukh pronounced the order today.”

The coverage continued, “The court rejected the makers’ objection that only Chennai courts had jurisdiction. Dream Warrior alleges unpaid dues under the 2023 remake agreements and seeks to halt Bholaa’s distribution.”

The case will next be heard on April 30.

About the dispute

Bholaa was released in 2023. The film starred Ajay Devgn in the lead role and was also produced and directed by him. It is the official Hindi adaptation of the 2019 Tamil film Kaithi, which starred Karthi. Three years after the release of Bholaa, the makers, Dream Warrior Pictures, have initiated legal proceedings, asserting that it remains the sole owner of the original film’s copyright and remake rights. They had accused the makers of Bholaa of violating copyright and remake rights.

Following the release of Bholaa on March 30, 2023, a tripartite agreement was signed on April 1, 2023, involving Dream Warrior Pictures, Reliance Entertainment, and Ajay Devgn Ffilms LLP. Dream Warrior Pictures claimed that the second and third instalments due under the earlier agreement, scheduled for April 29 and May 29, 2023, were not paid. The company stated that it sent multiple reminders seeking payments and financial disclosures through 2023 and 2024, but did not receive any response.

On October 28, 2024, the production house issued a legal notice demanding ₹4 crore along with interest. The notice also warned that failure to clear dues within 30 days would lead to termination of the agreement and reversion of all rights.

Kaithi was directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, who had earlier confirmed that a sequel to the film is in development. Kaithi 2 is part of the larger cinematic universe created by Lokesh, which also includes Lokesh's Kamal Haasan-starrer Vikram and Vijay-starrer Leo.