Bhansali Productions moves HC to restrain Eros International from exploiting Rights of ‘Bajirao Mastani’

On Tuesday, Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s production house approached the High Court of Bombay, seeking restraining orders against production & distribution company Eros International Media Ltd from exploiting the rights of the 2015 film Bajirao Mastani. The film, co-produced by Bhansali Productions & Eros International Media Limited, was released in 2015.

This comes a month after the court had directed Eros International to pay the dues of Rs 19.39 lakh to Bhansali Productions for 2013 film Goliyon ki Rasleela Ram-Leela.

A Single-Judge bench of Justice Burgess P Colabawalla briefly heard the plea through videoconference on Tuesday & adjourned it till June 30.

Bhansali’s production house through senior lawyer Zal Andhyarujina along with advocates Nausher Kohli & Parag Khandhar challenged an intimation filed by Eros International with Bombay Stock Exchange of an all-share merger with its parent company Eros International Plc & Hollywood’s STX Filmworks. The proposed merger is likely to be closed by June 30.

The Bhansali productions claim that the merger was being entered into using a misleading disclosure that Eros had some rights to the film ‘Bajirao Mastani’. It further said that neither Eros International PLC nor STX Filmworks are parties to the co-production agreement between the Bhansali Productions & Eros International Limited & therefore they can't claim any rights on the film. Advocate Akshay Patil for Eros International opposed the plea.

With regards to the 2013 movie Ram Leela, the High Court on May 4 had noted that respondent companies are situated in the British Isles & California & it will require a detailed hearing to consider the law on whether reliefs can be granted against entities falling beyond the court’s jurisdiction. “I do not think that a case for ad-interim reliefs is made out at this stage, considering that the court is hearing only extremely urgent matters due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Justice Colabawalla had said.

However, the bench had directed Eros International to pay dues of Rs 19.39 lakh to Bhansali Production related to the co-production arrangement within three weeks. The court had said Bhansali Productions will have the liberty to approach it for relief against the merger after the regular court resumes post lockdown.

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