Varma: Release relief

New Delhi, July 16 (PTI): Delhi High Court today allowed director Ram Gopal Varma to release his remake of Sholay after changing the title of the film from Ram Gopal Varma Ki Sholay to Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag.

The court gave the green signal for the release of the film after Varma filed an affidavit saying he would not use the title Sholay and the names of popular characters like Gabbar Singh and Basanti.

The roadblocks for the release of the film, in which Amitabh Bachchan plays Gabbar, came after a lawsuit was filed by the grandson of G.P Sippy, who had produced Sholay.

Taking on record the affidavit in which Varma claimed that the storyline, characters and music did not match Sippy’s Sholay, Justice Gita said the director could release the film under the title Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag.

The characters Gabbar and Basanti have been renamed Babban Singh and Ghungroo.

The court also allowed Sippy Films Pvt Ltd and Sholay Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, owned by Sascha Sippy and Shan Uttam Singh, “to push for its remaining claims, if any, after watching the film’s remake”.

Sascha and Singh had filed the lawsuit to permanently restrain Varma from releasing the film, saying the use of the name “Sholay” by any other entity amounted to infringement of trademark and copyright.