'Badmashiyaan' publicity on pause following alleged copyright violation

Gunjan Malhotra and Sharib Hashmi star in Badmashiyaan

The Delhi High Court has put brakes on the promotions of 'Badmashiyaan' following allegations of copyright infringement. It has restrained the distribution and exhibition of the film's trailer after Multi Screen Media (MSM) and Kaleidoscope Entertainment Pvt Ltd claimed it to be a copy of the Korean film, 'Couples', on which their yet-to-be-released film 'Mango' is based.

Gunjan Malhotra and Sharib Hashmi star in 'Badmashiyaan'

The production house claims that the court granted them relief on the basis that they have exclusive rights to the Hindi remake of 'Couples' (2011). Interestingly, the Korean film in question is itself a remake of the 2005 Japanese film, 'A Stranger of Mine'. While 'Mango' went on the floors in 2013, 'Badmashiyaan' was filmed last year.

Pleading ignorance about the court order, Vijay Gutte, producer of 'Badmaashiyaan', says: "We have not received any notice or court order from anyone. We have been promoting our film since a month." Advocate Rizwan Siddiquee, who represents VRG Motion Pictures that has produced Badmaashiyaan, states no notice was served or any claim made for any alleged copyright infringement.

He adds that the restraining order has neither been served to the makers nor were they aware of any such proceedings.

"They are now keen to see the grounds on which the court order seems to have been granted for alleged copyright violation without hearing my client or even viewing the film. While my client is duly seeking service of the order copy, we have already started preparing to challenge the said order," he says.