Fanney Khan: A timeline of legal battle between producers T-Series, ROMP and Vashu Bhagnani

Fanney Khan has faced its share of legal issues ever since the release of its first poster. The film, featuring Anil Kapoor , Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Rajkummar Rao, faced legal issues when Vashu Bhagnani issued the first notice on 25 June, claiming that the sole distribution rights belonged to his company Pooja Entertainment and Films.

Bhagnani, who was miffed not to see his name on the poster credits, sent a notice to all three producers, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, T-Series and KriArj Entertainment (which reconvened its association with the film after backing out). The notice not only demanded sole distribution rights but also claimed that other producers in the venture needed to seek his approval before officially releasing the film.

On 10 July, there was an ’ex-parte’ order given by the Delhi High Court which restrained Vashu and his company Pooja Entertainment & Films Pvt Ltd from interfering in the distribution and release of Fanney Khan . This was in response to a suit filed by T-Series which claimed that Bhagnani was unfairly interrupting the smooth release of the film.

On 13 July, Justice S J Khattawala, in the Bombay High Court, heard Bhagnani’s case against KriArj Entertainment and others on the release of Fanney Khan. Khattawala heard that Delhi High Court’s next hearing would be on 17 July and ordered another hearing in the Bombay High Court on 19 July. He also asked the Bhagnani’s lawyers to ask Pooja Entertainment to clarify the ex-parte order from Delhi.

On 17 July, Justice Pratibha Singh of the Delhi High Court refused to lift the stay order on Bhagnani from issuing notices or laying any claims against Fanney Khan or interfering with the rights of T-Series in the film. The court also asked him to submit all documents of agreement that Bhagnani claimed to have with T-Series regarding the distribution rights of the film.

On 19 July, Bhagnani filed an FIR against Prernaa Arora’s KriArj Entertainment alleging that she violated a deal that the two companies signed for Fanney Khan. He further alleged that Arora did not keep her part of a bulk deal signed by the two parties on Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran , Fanney Khan, Batti Gul Meter Chalu, Kedarnath and other films.

On 30 July, Bhagnani moved the Supreme Court to stall the release of Fanney Khan claiming that the matter on distribution rights had not yet been resolved. The petitioner sought direction for transfer of the cases pending in the Bombay High Court to the Delhi High Court or the Supreme Court and stay the release of the film.

Fanney Khan is slated to release this Friday on 3 August.