Delhi High Court Allows Doosra Release Pending Ganguly Hearing

The Delhi High Court on Thursday, October 22, declined to block the scheduled theatrical release of Doosra, a film challenged by former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly. The court said the film could be released on October 23 and scheduled a further hearing on Ganguly’s petition that day. The dispute’s merits remain undecided. Ganguly and Luv Films LLP asked the court to restrain the film’s theatrical and digital release and the circulation of promotional material. Their suit alleges that Doosra uses elements of Ganguly’s identity and cricketing career without authorization, infringing his personality rights and Luv Films’ contractual rights connected to a proposed biopic. The petition points to Ganguly’s captaincy during India’s 2002 NatWest Series final victory over England and his shirtless celebration at Lord’s afterward. The plaintiffs contend that references to those events in the film and its promotion exploit his identity and could give audiences the impression that he is associated with or has endorsed the movie. According to the suit, Ganguly and Luv Films signed an agreement on August 5, 2021, granting the production company exclusive rights to develop and...