Delhi High Court Allows Doosra Screenings With Conditions

The Delhi High Court has allowed the film Doosra to remain in theatres while ordering its makers to add Hindi and English disclaimers and provide a ₹2 crore bank guarantee. The interim order follows a lawsuit by former cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and Luv Films LLP over the film’s use of Ganguly’s identity and life events.

Justice Tejas Karia directed the filmmakers to place the disclaimers at the beginning and end of the movie within two days of the order. The disclaimer must say Ganguly did not consent to the use of his persona and that the film is not intended to violate his personality and publicity rights.

The makers must also furnish an unconditional bank guarantee of ₹2 crore to the court registrar within two weeks. The court said failure to meet the conditions could lead to a restraint on the film’s commercial use by the defendants and those acting on their behalf.

In its preliminary assessment, the court said Doosra was not confined to depicting historical events and that its makers had prima facie commercially exploited Ganguly’s identity and persona. The order is interim; the supplied reporting does not establish a final ruling on the parties’ claims.