The ongoing legal showdown between acclaimed director Aditya Dhar and veteran filmmaker Rajiv Rai has escalated further, drawing massive attention to the complexities of music copyrights in Bollywood. The high-stakes dispute erupted over the blockbuster spy action-thriller Dhurandhar 2, also titled Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which features a reimagined climax song titled Rang De Lal (Oye Oye). Rajiv Rai, representing Trimurti Films, filed a major copyright infringement lawsuit against Aditya Dhar’s B62 Studios, Jio Studios, and music giant T-Series, accusing them of the unauthorized use and mutilation of his iconic 1989 track Tirchi Topiwale from the classic movie Tridev. While Dhurandhar 2 continues its record-breaking run at the box office, Rai expressed immense shock and distress upon seeing his legendary song altered and utilized in another film without his explicit permission, slamming the act as absolute theft and a dangerous trend for the industry’s creative legacy.
The core of the legal argument rests upon a decades-old contract signed back on June 30, 1988, between Trimurti Films and Super Cassettes Industries Pvt. Ltd. (T-Series). Rajiv Rai’s legal team strongly contended that this initial agreement only granted limited audio exploitation rights to manufacture and sell physical records like cassettes and gramophone records. They argued that the 1980s contract possessed no clauses permitting the synchronization of the music with modern cinematic visuals or the creation of heavily altered remixes for completely separate commercial films. On the other hand, the defendants vehemently countered the claims by interpreting the 1988 contract as a full assignment of literary, dramatic, and musical rights that legally allowed T-Series to adapt and reproduce fresh versions. The defense also pointed out that songs from Tridev had previously been used in other mainstream movies like Azhar and K.G.F: Chapter 1 without facing any previous legal hurdles from Trimurti Films.
In the latest development, the Delhi High Court officially stepped in to deliver a crucial ruling after a court-mandated mediation process between the opposing parties completely failed to reach an amicable settlement. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela officially refused to grant Trimurti Films an interim injunction to stay the highly anticipated OTT release of the Ranveer Singh-starrer, which is slated to stream internationally and domestically on digital platforms. The court observed that blocking the digital streaming of a film that has already enjoyed a massive theatrical run would create an inconceivable and uncountenanced situation, adding that the plaintiff’s relative inaction over past track usages weakened the request for urgent interim relief. However, to safeguard the financial claims of the original creators while the case proceeds to a formal trial, the High Court directed T-Series to deposit a sum of ₹50 lakh with the Registrar General within four weeks, ensuring that any final damages can be smoothly handled with interest-bearing restitution once the definitive copyright verdict is announced.
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