Filmmaker Prakash Jha served with Rs 1 crore notice from Phantom Films

New Delhi: Filmmaker Prakash Jha has evolved in fresh trouble for Phantom Films has served a Rs 1 crore notice to his production house, alleging that the film “Jai Gangaajal” was made without having rights of making a sequel.

Phantom Films, a joint movie production house owned by Vikas Bahl, Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena, claims it has the IPR (intellectual property rights) of 2003 release “Gangaajal”, directed and produced by Jha, and the rights to make sequel or any adaptation based on the original film.

The notice, issued on August 6, claimed that Jha Production (PJP) had made a sequel of “Gangaajal” without having rights. “As the film is made already and intellectual property rights are violated, Jha should provide Rs 1 crore to Phantom film as compensation,” the notice stated.

It added that if Jha fails to pay the compensation within 7 days, than Phantom will go to court against the director and PJP over the issue. Phantom film in its notice also stated that Jha has already taken money for the rights of the film “Gangaajal” and “Jai Gangaajal” (from Phantom), and thus, does not hold the authority to make a sequel.

The notice was issued after Play Entertainment (co- producer of ‘Jai Gangaajal’) had recently given an advertisement in a trade magazine, regarding the rights of ‘Gangaajal’.

The advertisement mentioned that if nobody turns up to claims of the rights of the film (Jai Gangaajal), then it will be assumed that the rights will be protected by Play Entertainment. Recently, Play Entertainment, co-producer of Priyanka Chopra-starrer “Jai Gangaajal” had filed a police complaint against its director Prakash Jha’s production company, alleging fraud and cheating.

PTI