Mumbai Film Producer Firoz Nadiadwala Files Cheating Case Over Hera Pheri Copyright Row

Mumbai: Film producer Firoz Nadiadwala (62) has filed a complaint at Amboli police station against producers Gopala Pillai Vijaykumar and M. Paul Michael for alleged cheating and defamation over the copyright of the Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking, on which Hera Pheri is based. Police registered a case on April 27.

According to the FIR, Nadiadwala, a Juhu resident who operates Empire Studio in Andheri West, invested heavily in Hera Pheri. In 1997, director Priyadarshan brought him the story, after which the film was developed and shot between 1998 and 2000.

Hera Pheri is based on the 1989 Malayalam film produced under M/s Sarga Chitra, where M Paul Michael and Siddique KL alias Lal were partners. The FIR states that remake rights were sold in 1993 to M/s Compact Disc India Limited, from whom Nadiadwala legally acquired rights on March 24, 2000, for Rs4.50 lakh. He obtained copyright for Hindi and other languages, excluding southern languages.

Based on this, Hera Pheri (2000) and Phir Hera Pheri (2006) were made and became commercial successes, with no objections raised for 25 years.

Nadiadwala alleged that in 2000, Michael and Siddique claimed rights and attempted to block the film’s release, even threatening him through intermediaries and demanding money. He filed a complaint with the Commissioner of Mumbai Police on March 21, 2000.

He further alleged that in December 2024 he received a copyright notice, and in October 2025, Vijaykumar filed a petition in the Madras High Court claiming fresh ownership via another company. Calling the claim fabricated, Nadiadwala said the accused demanded Rs60 lakh and 25% profit share, while spreading false information using actors’ names.

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