Court penalises Bhojpuri producer for making frivolous copyright claim just before release of Anushka Sharma's 'Phillauri'
'Phillauri'
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With just three days left for its release, Anushka Sharma's Phillauri found itself in legal wrangle as Bhojpuri actor-producer filed a copyright infringement case against the rom-com in the Bombay High Court.
The court, however, did not entertain the complainant, Dashrath Rathod, and, in fact, slapped a penalty of Rs 5 lakh for the last-minute move. In a declaration suit, Rathod claimed Phillauri is a copy of his 2013 trilingual film, Mangal Phera, and also demanded a stay on its release this Friday. A source informed, "The court did not find any prima facie case and dismissed Rathod's call for a stay. He has now filed an appeal against the order."
Advocate Nagesh Mishra, who appeared for Rathod, said, "We feel it (the order) is not justified. Once we get a copy of the order in hand, we will appeal to the court for a hearing." Lawyers Bhavik Mehta and Kiran Desai, who are representing the Phillauri makers, refused to comment on the case. The film is Anushka's second production venture after NH-10 (2015), and stars Diljit Dosanjh, Suraj Sharma and her in lead roles.