The Mumbai High Court, which is hearing from counsels of Vishal Bharadwaj’s Rangoon and film production house Wadia Moviestone Pvt Ltd today, is expected to stay the release of Rangoon. Rangoon, which stars Kangana Ranaut, Shahid Kapoor, and Saif Ali Khan, is facing a copyright infringement suit from Wadia Moviestone. The production house claims that there are 19 similarities between Rangoon’s promotional material and their 1935 film Hunterwali. Hunterwali starred Australian actress Mary Evans as Fearless Nadia.
Earlier, company MD and JBH Wadia’s grandson Roy Wadia had filed a commercial suit in the Mumbai High Court for copyright infringement. The suit, according to a Mid-Day report, alleged that the Rangoon makers infringed on the copyrighted character of Nadia, including her costume, poses, and even her catch phrase ‘Bloody Hell’. Rangoon‘s first released song is titled ‘Bloody Hell’.
Rangoon‘s trailers and posters depict a mask-wearing whip-wielding movie star of the ’40s who appears similar to Australian actress Mary Evans’ portrayal of Fearless Nadia. According to the report, a cast member speaking on condition of anonymity said, “Kangana was advised to watch ‘Hunterwali’, and the stylists told to reference her dressing for Kangana, who plays Julia. Some of the male characters also resemble those from Nadia’s life.”
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The court will also look at email correspondence between Roy Wadia’s company and UTV. Back in 2006, UTV’s Ronnie Screwvala had approached Wadia to make a film on Nadia. The talks fell through and subsequently Wadia had sold the rights to a German firm. Meanwhile, Wadia received reports that Vishal Bharadwaj was making a similar film with UTV. When Wadia contacted them about a possible copyright issue, Vishal and UTV assured Wadia that their film was a love story set in the ’40s and had no connection with the Nadia franchise.
Vishal Bharadwaj subsequently filed a detailed reply in court stating: “The film is essentially a love story set in the early 1940s, during the tumultuous period of World War 2, between an actress, an Indian patriot /freedom fighter and a film actor/ producer.” He said the script had been in development since 2005, and the character of Julia was not based on Nadia but “a composite of several leading ladies of that era”.
Picture Courtesy: Indian Express and inUth