By: Mohnish Singh
Panorama Studios International, which recently acquired the rights to remake the blockbuster Malayalam film Drishyam 2 (2021) in Hindi, has now assured the Bombay High Court that the production house will not begin production on the remake until the copyright suit filed against it is pending in the court.
For the uninitiated, Viacom18 Media Private Limited had approached the Bombay High Court seeking a restraining order on Panorama Studios International from producing any sequel to Drishyam (2015) in the Hindi language.
The 2015 film was a joint production between Panorama Studios International and Viacom18 Media Private Limited. So, when Panorama Studios International went ahead to set up the stage for a remake to the film, it did not go down well with Viacom18 Media Private Limited and they filed a legal complaint against them.
Viacom18 Media Private Limited has alleged infringement of their copyright and sought recognition and adjudication of copyright and other rights in the production of the sequel in the Drishyam franchise which includes a film on continuation from the previous story.
In its order, the HC said, “The statement is that the defendants (Panorama) will not themselves or through any other person with whom they may have a contract or arrangement, begin shooting of the film in question i.e. a sequel to the film Drishyam.”
The High Court also noted that if Panorama Studios International undertakes any pre-production work such as developing the script, screenplay or dialogue, then it will be at their own risk and that they will not be entitled to claim any equities on that basis in the future.
Starring Ajay Devgn, Tabu and Shriya Saran in important roles, Drishyam was one of the most successful Hindi films of 2015. It was the official remake of the Malayalam film of the same title released in 2013. The sequel to the Malayalam film released in February on streaming media giant Amazon Prime Video and received rousing response from critics and viewers alike.
After the huge success of Drishyam 2, Panorama Studios International bought the rights to remake it in Hindi. But looks like there is going to be a long wait before the audience gets to watch the sequel in Hindi.
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