The Delhi High Court has ruled that the film Doosra infringes the personality and publicity rights of former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly. The Court has directed the filmmakers to follow a series of conditions before commercially releasing the film. These include displaying a disclaimer in Hindi and English and submitting an unconditional bank guarantee of Rs 2 crore.
Delhi High Court Directs Filmmakers to Add Disclaimer
Justice Tejas Karia observed that Ganguly’s personality and key events from his cricket career were closely linked to the film’s storyline. He noted that it would not be practical at this stage to separate or remove these portions from the movie. The Court therefore directed Ramesh Deo Productions Private Limited, the producer of Doosra, to add a disclaimer at both the beginning and the end of the film.
The disclaimer must clearly state that Ganguly did not give permission for the use of his personality in the film. It must also clarify that the movie does not intend to violate his personality or publicity rights. The filmmakers have been given two days to comply with this direction.
Producers Asked to Submit Rs 2 Crore Bank Guarantee
The Court also directed the producers to submit an unconditional bank guarantee of Rs 2 crore with the High Court Registrar within two weeks. Justice Karia warned that failure to follow any of the conditions would prevent the makers from commercially exploiting the film. This restriction would apply to the entire movie as well as any part or aspect of it.
The order came in a lawsuit filed by Ganguly and Luv Films LLP, which holds contractual rights to develop an authorised biographical film about his life and cricket career. The plaintiffs alleged that Doosra used well-known incidents and features associated with Ganguly without his permission. Their main objections involved India's historic 2002 NatWest Series final victory against England and Ganguly's famous shirtless celebration from the Lord's balcony.
Luv Films Holds Rights to Official Biopic
The lawsuit comes after Ganguly signed an agreement with Luv Films on August 5, 2021. The agreement gave the company exclusive rights to develop and commercially exploit audiovisual content based on his life and cricketing journey.
Luv Films said it had made significant investments in the authorised biographical film, titled Dada – The Sourav Ganguly Story. The film is scheduled for release on May 14, 2027. The controversy began after the trailer and promotional campaign for Doosra were launched on October 12.
