Dhamaal Makers Face ₹1.50 Crore Fraud Case Over Film Rights

Filmmaker Indra Kumar and producer Ashok Thakeria are facing an alleged ₹1.50 crore fraud case linked to the distribution and copyright rights of their 2007 comedy film Dhamaal. A Mumbai-based distributor has accused the filmmakers of selling rights to his company despite some of those rights allegedly having been transferred to another company earlier. An FIR was registered at Amboli Police Station on August 17 following a complaint by Vikas Baldevraj Sahni, owner of film distribution company Grand Master.

The case has been registered under Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The sections relate to cheating and acts allegedly committed with common intention. According to Sahni's complaint, Grand Master entered into an agreement with Maruti International, associated with Ashok Thakeria, on October 15, 2019. Under the agreement, the distributor allegedly paid ₹1.50 crore for permanent worldwide distribution, digital and copyright rights related to Dhamaal.

Sahni claimed that his company was assured at the time of the agreement that the film's rights had not previously been sold to another party. However, he allegedly later discovered that the lifetime OTT and digital rights of Dhamaal had already been sold to Shemaroo Entertainment in 2015, four years before Grand Master entered into its agreement with Maruti International. The alleged earlier transaction subsequently became a major point of contention between the parties and raised questions over the rights that could legally be transferred under the 2019 deal.

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The complaint further alleges that Thakeria visited the distributor's office in January 2020 and informed the company about the earlier arrangement with Shemaroo Entertainment. Grand Master subsequently raised concerns about the agreement. The complaint also states that Maruti International entered into a supplementary agreement with Shemaroo on October 29, 2020, under which the producer retained rights to the film for only one satellite channel. Meanwhile, Grand Master had applied for cinematograph copyright of Dhamaal in March 2020 and later received a copyright certificate from the Copyright Office in April 2023.

According to Sahni, the dispute over the rights resulted in substantial financial losses for Grand Master. He alleged that potential agreements with several major digital platforms could not be completed because of uncertainty surrounding ownership and distribution rights. The distributor reportedly sent a legal notice to the accused parties on January 2, 2023, seeking clarification. After allegedly failing to receive a satisfactory response, he approached the police, eventually leading to the registration of the FIR. Grand Master has also submitted documents to authorities in support of its claims.

Maruti International has responded to the allegations, saying discussions are currently underway with the concerned party to resolve the dispute mutually. The FIR represents allegations at this stage, and the claims will have to be established through the investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings. Dhamaal, released in September 2007, starred Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Jaaved Jaaferi and Riteish Deshmukh, with Indra Kumar directing and Ashok Thakeria producing. The comedy developed a strong following and later became part of a successful film franchise.

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