The Bombay High Court recently refused to stay on the release of the Hindi film ‘Haddi’ in response to petitions filed by two production companies, Tiger Trail and Oberoi Mega Entertainment LLP (owned by Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi), against the film’s producers. Two separate orders were passed refusing to stay the film’s release, which is scheduled to be released on September 7.
A bench of Justice Manish Pitale asked the rationale behind halting the film’s release in order to protect the rights of the two production companies. In a ruling issued on September 4, the Court expressed its inability to comprehend how delaying the movie’s release would, in any way, safeguard the rights, if any, of the petitioners.
The Court noted that the disputes raised by the petitioners and their grievances at this stage appear to be directed solely against the partners. These issues could potentially be matters involving damages or compensation that the petitioners may seek from the respondents. However, the Court found no grounds for halting the release of the film.
The Court also disapproved of parties approaching the court at the last minute to seek an injunction against the film’s release. The case is scheduled to be heard next on October 16.
Both petitions were filed seeking interim relief while arbitration proceedings were ongoing. Oberoi Mega Entertainment claimed that the film’s rights had been wrongly granted to other entities. They highlighted the existence of a limited liability partnership agreement with Anandita Entertainment LLP for the film’s production. Oberoi discovered that Zee Studios had engaged in email exchanges with Anandita Studios Private Limited regarding the production and release of a film with the same script. Oberoi contended that Zee was aware of the prior agreement with Anandita Entertainment but proceeded with its deal and announced the movie’s release in May 2022. Oberoi sought a stay on the film’s release, alleging that Zee could not have clandestinely engaged with Anandita Studios.
On the other hand, the respondents argued that Oberoi’s disputes were related to their claims with Anandita Entertainment and that the film’s release should not be entangled in the dispute. They also requested additional time to file a reply.
Tiger Trails, in a separate petition, alleged that Anandita Entertainment had misappropriated funds provided for the film’s production. They urged the Court to stay the film’s release until the financial dispute was resolved. However, the Court found no link between the funds transferred by Tiger Trails and the film’s production, which is scheduled for release on the Zee OTT platform later this week. Consequently, the Court denied relief to Tiger Trails as well, allowing the film’s release to proceed as planned.
