The Delhi High Court has approved the OTT release of Ranveer Singh-led spy thriller Dhurandhar 2, which features the track Rang De Lal (Oye Oye), a remixed version of a song from the 1989 film Tridev.
Dhurandhar 2 is set to drop on JioHotstar on June 4 at 7pm.
A petition by Trimurti Films seeking to prevent the OTT release of the film over alleged misuse of Tirchi Topiwale was dismissed by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, according to a report by Live Law.
In his interim order on May 14, Justice Gedela noted that the film had already been released in theatres featuring the disputed song. Stopping its OTT release would be “incongruous” and “inconceivable.”
According to Trimurti Films, the song Tirchi Topiwale belongs to it, and Dhurandhar 2 infringed its copyright.
However, T-Series rejected the plaintiff’s claim, stating that it has the rights to the song.
The court also noted that T-Series claimed full rights over the song through its use and exploitation in remixed versions in two earlier films, against which no action had been taken.
“(The court cannot) direct them to undergo huge financial losses merely at the askance of the plaintiff, as and when the plaintiff chooses to awaken from its deep slumber.”
Dhurandhar, currently available to stream on Netflix, chronicles a long-running Indian intelligence mission in which an undercover operative adopts the identity of a Baloch man, Hamza Ali Mazari (Ranveer Singh), and infiltrates Pakistan’s criminal underworld with the objective to dismantle a terror network targeting India.
The sequel charts the rise of Singh’s character Hamza Ali Mazari in the Karachi underworld while also delving into his origins as Jaskirat Singh Rangi, tracing the journey of the young man who eventually transforms into the covert operative.
The two films in the franchise have collectively grossed more than Rs 3,100 crore worldwide. Dhurandhar 2 alone has earned nearly Rs 1,800 crore globally, making it the second-highest-grossing Indian film of all time.