In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India has provided relief to filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh by quashing a copyright infringement case linked to his 2016 film Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh.
The court found that the complaint against Ghosh lacked substance and did not adequately demonstrate how his film resembled another work. Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe stated that the allegations were vague and unsubstantiated, failing to establish a clear connection between the two scripts involved.
The case originated from a complaint filed by Umesh Prasad Mehta, who claimed that his script Sabak was used in Ghosh’s film. Mehta alleged that he had shared his script with Ghosh in 2015. In response to the complaint, a magistrate court in Hazaribagh had issued summons against Ghosh in 2018 under the Copyright Act. However, the Jharkhand High Court had previously declined to dismiss the case, suggesting it required a deeper examination.
When the case reached the Supreme Court, Ghosh’s lawyer, Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave, argued that there was no evidence supporting the claim of similarity between the works. The Supreme Court agreed, noting that previous judicial decisions had not carefully considered the facts. Importantly, the court emphasized that witness statements did not prove any part of Mehta’s script had been copied.
Additionally, the Screen Writers Association’s Dispute Settlement Committee had earlier determined that there was no resemblance between the two works, a critical detail that had not been shared with the magistrate during earlier proceedings. The court also highlighted that Ghosh’s script for Kahaani 2 had been registered well before Mehta created his script, casting doubt on the validity of the infringement claim.
The Supreme Court underlined the necessity for caution to avoid frivolous lawsuits and the misuse of criminal law. Ultimately, it annulled both the earlier summoning order and the High Court’s decision, closing the case that was pending in the trial court.
Sujoy Ghosh’s film, Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh, features Vidya Balan in a leading role, portraying a woman with a hidden identity who protects a child, set against a backdrop of crime and secrets. Alongside Balan, the film also stars Arjun Rampal and Jugal Hansraj, and serves as a spiritual successor to the 2012 hit Kahaani.
