Mar 26, 2026 8:08pm IST
Ajay Devgn’s ‘Bholaa’ Lands in Legal Trouble as ‘Kaithi’ Producers Move Bombay High Court Over Copyright and Remake Rights
Makers of Ajay Devgn’s “Bholaa” have found themselves in legal trouble as the producers of the hit Tamil film “Kaithi,” Dream Warrior Pictures, have approached the Bombay High Court accusing the makers of the 2023 remake of violating copyright and remake rights related to the film.
As per Bar and Bench, the production house behind “Kaithi” has claimed that the makers of “Bholaa” exceeded the scope of rights originally granted to them and ended up making significant changes, thereby breaching the contractual agreements tied to the adaptation.
Several agreements have been mentioned in the complaint, beginning with a partnership involving Reliance Group in February 2020. It was in March 2023 that Reliance Entertainment Studios and the production company behind “Kaithi” signed a Remake Rights Assignment Agreement (Agreement 1) for the Hindi version, which eventually became “Bholaa.”
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“Bholaa,” which stars Ajay Devgn in the lead, is also directed by him. The original film, which released in 2019, starred Karthi in the lead and was directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. The story follows an ex convict who sets off on a dangerous journey involving crime and law enforcement as he attempts to reunite with his daughter.
The makers of “Kaithi” have stated in their warning that the contract would automatically come to an end and all rights related to the film would revert if the payment was not made within 30 days. Dream Warrior Pictures has asserted that all remake and commercialisation rights in “Bholaa” reverted back under Agreement 1 once it was terminated on November 27, 2024.
A plea was also filed under Section 9 before the NCLT Mumbai, alleging that Reliance Entertainment had failed to clear operational dues and seeking the initiation of insolvency resolution proceedings. However, the NCLT rejected the plea in August 2025 and clarified that the IP and contractual disputes surrounding “Kaithi” and “Bholaa” would have to be resolved before a civil court.
Following this, on March 22, 2026, the current commercial intellectual property lawsuit was filed, seeking to restrain the makers of “Bholaa” from distributing, streaming, broadcasting, or monetising the film. Additionally, entities including T Series, Zee Cinema, and Amazon Prime Video have also been named in the suit.
The defence counsel maintained during the hearing that their relationship was governed by two separate agreements. According to them, the main accord clearly gives exclusive jurisdiction to the courts in Chennai. They argued that the supplemental agreement alone does not justify Reliance moving the matter to the Mumbai court. After hearing both sides, the Bombay High Court has now reserved its order on the jurisdiction issue.
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