Delhi High Court Issues Notice On Plea Seeking Stay Of Film 'Nyay: The Justice'

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice in an appeal preferred by late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's father - Krishna Kishore Singh from the order which refused to restrain the producers from using the name, caricature, and/or likelihood of the actor in the movie "Nyay: The Justice" on being informed that the movie was released on OTT platform Lapalap.

A division bench comprising of Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani and Justice Jasmeet Singh sought response from the respondents and posted the matter for further hearing on July 14.

The development came after the bench heard Senior Advocate Harish Salve appearing for the appellant father who submitted before the Court that respondents have commercially exploited the life story of Sushant Singh Rajput's life.

Earlier, the Court had had sought response of Sushant Singh Rajput's father as to clarify whether the movie has already released or not.

The film was admittedly inspired from the life of Sushant Singh Rajput. His father moved Court seeking injunction on any and all movies planned, in the pipeline, and to be made in future, from using his son's name, caricature or likelihood - he claimed that as the sole legal heir of his son, he owns celebrity rights hitherto belonging to his son.

Further, he argued that such movies affect his right to privacy, as Rajput's father, as well as the right to a fair trial - in light of various ongoing cases on the cause of his death.

Singh has stated that the Defendants – who include the producers, director and outliner of the movie, "Nyay: The Justice", which is slated for release on June 11, i.e. tomorrow, are trying to "exploit the media frenzy and public curiosity surrounding SSR's life and the circumstances surrounding his death, for their commercial gain." He argues that, in September, 2020, his counsel had made a widely circulated statement that, "no movie(s), book(s) or series based on the Plaintiff's son should be made without obtaining the prior consent of his family. Despite that, without approaching the family, Defendants No. 1 to 4 are making a movie which is a self-proclaimed "tribute to Sushant Singh Rajput", titled 'Nyay: The Justice'."

Produced by Sarla A Saraogi and Rahul Sharma, directed by Dilip Gulati, and the film has been outlined by Sarla's husband, a lawyer named Ashok Saraogi, the plaint states.

Kishore Krishna Singh argues that this has resulted in a violation of "celebrity rights" or the "right to publicity" which belonged to his son, Sushant before his death, and which he has inherited as Sushant's only legal heir.

Singh has argued that "the public at large cannot be permitted to make windfall gain through commercially exploiting the persona of the deceased."