In a significant legal victory for acclaimed filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh, the Supreme Court has put an end to a protracted copyright infringement dispute concerning his 2016 thriller, Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh. The apex court categorically dismissed the allegations as unfounded, labeling the entire case as a misuse of judicial resources. This ruling not only clears Ghosh of any wrongdoing but also sends a strong message against frivolous lawsuits that can clog the justice system.
The controversy originated when Umesh Prasad Mehta filed a complaint claiming that his script titled Sabak had been unlawfully copied to create Kahaani 2. However, after a thorough examination, the Supreme Court found no credible evidence to support these accusations. The Bench, led by Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, pointed out that the complainant failed to provide even a rudimentary comparison between the two works, relying instead on vague and unsupported claims. This lack of substantive proof ultimately led to the dismissal of the case.
The legal proceedings began in earnest when Mehta alleged that he had shared his script with Sujoy Ghosh back in 2015. This prompted a magistrate court in Hazaribagh to issue summons in 2018 under the Copyright Act. Despite efforts to quash the case at the Jharkhand High Court, which refused to dismiss the complaint, Ghosh escalated the matter to the Supreme Court. His legal team, led by Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave, argued that the case was a clear example of legal harassment aimed at burdening the filmmaker unnecessarily.
During the Supreme Court hearings, it was highlighted that the complainant’s evidence, including witness testimonies, failed to establish any act of copying. The court also referred to findings by the Screen Writers Association’s Dispute Settlement Committee, which had earlier determined there was no similarity between the two scripts. Notably, this crucial information had not been presented to the magistrate when the summons were issued. Furthermore, the court underscored that Ghosh’s script for Kahaani 2 was officially registered before Mehta’s script was even created, effectively negating any claims of infringement.
By annulling both the magistrate’s summons and the High Court’s refusal to quash the case, the Supreme Court has effectively brought this lengthy legal battle to a close. The judgment reinforces the judiciary’s commitment to safeguarding creative professionals from baseless and malicious litigation, which can otherwise stifle artistic expression and innovation.
Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh, starring Vidya Balan, Arjun Rampal, and Jugal Hansraj, tells the gripping story of a woman living under an assumed identity while protecting a child. The film, which serves as a spiritual successor to the 2012 hit Kahaani, skillfully combines elements of crime, suspense, and hidden pasts. Over the years, it has remained a landmark project in Sujoy Ghosh’s career, further establishing his reputation as a master storyteller in Indian cinema.
