Mumbai. The Bombay High Court on Thursday in an interim order restrained the makers of the film ‘Shaadi Ke Director Karan Aur Johar’ from using the name of filmmaker Karan Johar in the title or the film. The court restrained the filmmakers from using Karan Johar’s personal identity in the title or the film and termed doing so as a violation of fundamental rights.
A bench of Justice R I Chagla has banned the release of the film. The bench said that until Karan Johar’s name and the mention of his personal identity is removed from the title and the film, the film will not be shown in theatres or on any social media platform. The film ‘Shaadi Ke Director Karan Aur Johar’ was scheduled to release on June 14.
Karan Johar had approached the High Court regarding this film. He had filed a petition against the film’s producers India Pride Advisory and Sanjay Singh and writer and director Bablu Singh for a permanent ban on using his name in the title of the film.
Karan Johar’s lawyer Jal Andhyarjun said that the name of the film producer is being used unauthorizedly and the producers of the film have a malicious intention to gain unfair and illegal benefits by using his name. A single bench of Justice RI Chagla, while approving Johar’s interim application, said that the word director has been used in the title of the film and it also contains the names of Karan and Johar.
Justice R I Chagla, while accepting Karan Johar’s interim plea, said that the word ‘director’ has been used in the title of the film and it also contains the names of Karan and Johar. Prima facie, it seems that the producers of the film are targeting Karan Johar. The bench acknowledged that unauthorized use of someone’s name in this manner is a violation of fundamental rights.
The court said, “The name of a person cannot be used without his permission. Doing so is a violation of his fundamental rights.” The court also said that despite the notice issued by the plaintiff, the defendants have failed to appear. The court has fixed the next hearing of this case on July 10.