Legal Battle Brewing Between Eros International and Aanand L Rai
Mumbai – A renewed legal conflict has arisen between director Aanand L Rai and Eros International, with tensions escalating over the film Tere Ishk Mein, featuring Dhanush and Kriti Sanon. This follows last year’s controversy surrounding the AI-altered ending of Raanjhanaa, which was re-released by Eros.
Eros International has filed a lawsuit in the Bombay High Court, claiming that Rai and his production company, Colour Yellow Media Entertainment, have infringed on their intellectual property rights. Specifically, Eros is alleging trademark and copyright violations related to the promotional material and narrative of Tere Ishk Mein.
In their suit, Eros seeks a hefty sum of Rs. 84 crores in damages. They argue that Tere Ishk Mein has been misleadingly presented as a “spiritual sequel” to Raanjhanaa without their consent. Additionally, the lawsuit names other parties including T-Series, writer Himanshu Sharma, and OTT platform Netflix.
According to Eros, they hold all intellectual property rights associated with Raanjhanaa, which include not only copyright but also character rights for its beloved characters such as Kundan Shankar and Murari. They claim that these rights have been improperly used in the marketing of Tere Ishk Mein.
A significant point in the allegations is the announcement video for Tere Ishk Mein, which contained phrases indicating a connection to Raanjhanaa. Eros also noted that the film’s teaser featured music and footage from Raanjhanaa, despite Eros no longer holding the music rights.
Moreover, the character Murari, played by Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, is said to bear striking similarities to his counterpart in Raanjhanaa. Eros states that the portrayal of Shankar in Tere Ishk Mein closely mirrors Kundan’s character from the earlier film, sharing emotional themes and character arcs.
Eros issued a cease-and-desist notice to Rai’s team on July 25, 2025, followed by reminders in September. Although references to Raanjhanaa were reportedly removed from promotional content, Eros claims that upon viewing Tere Ishk Mein, they discovered ongoing copyright and trademark infringements, reiterating that it is still promoted as a spiritual sequel.
As this legal drama unfolds, it will be interesting to see how both sides respond and the potential impact on the release of Tere Ishk Mein.
