Kantara Movie : Another Injunction Order Passed Against "Varaha Roopam" Song In Copyright Infringement Suit

Another Court in Kerala has passed an injunction order against the Kannada superhit movie "Kantara" in a copyright dispute over the song "Varaha Roopam". This time, Palakkad District Court has passed the ad-interim injunction order in a copyright infringement suit filed by Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Company Ltd, which holds copyright over "Navarasam" song, which has been allegedly plagiarised as "Varaha Roopam" song in the movie. 

Advocate Uma Devi, who appeared for the plaintiff, told LiveLaw that the Court has restrained Hombale Films (producer), Rishabh Shetty (director), Prithviraj Productions Pvt Ltd (Kerala distributor) and streaming platforms from exhibiting, streaming, distributing or communicating to the public the film Kantara with the synchronised song "Varaha Roopam" until further orders. 

The lawyer said that Mathrubhumi has been assigned the copyrights of the "Navarasam" song and it approached the Court invoking the Copyright Act.  

The order passed by District Judge Dr B Kalaml Pasha stated as follows :

"I heard the petitioner's counsel. I perused the affidavit and the documents. I am satisfied that the petitioner has got a prima facie case and the delay in sending the notice is likely to defeat the purpose of the petition. So, notice is dispensed with. The respondents are restrained from exhibiting, releasing on OTT platforms, streaming, distributing or communicating to the public the film 'Kantara' with the synchronized song 'Varaha Roopam' until further orders".

The case is next posted on November 26.

Last week, Kozhikode District Court had passed an injunction order against the Kantara movie makers in a copyright suit filed by Kerala-based music band Thaikkudam Bridge, which played the "Navarasam" song. The band moved the suit contending that its moral rights as the author of the song have been infringed by the unauthorised use in the movie.

Click here to read/download the order