Showing posts with label Jyoti Kapoor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jyoti Kapoor. Show all posts
Sujoy Ghosh on decade-long Kahaani 2 plagiarism row: “It was one battle after another”
10:43 AM
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; May 3, 2026)
It was like one battle after another, and winning this case was like winning an Oscar” – that’s how Sujoy Ghosh describes his decade-long battle in court over the plagiarism accusations against his film Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh (2016) . Now, after the case was quashed last month, he is revisiting the ordeal.
At a discussion hosted by the Screenwriters Association in Mumbai, Ghosh recalled the nightmare that the case caused.
‘IP IN OUR COUNTRY IS TREATED AS A CRIMINAL CASE’
Ghosh, who wrote and directed the film, said the complainant had first approached the SWA, which found no connection between the two scripts. He then went to court, allegedly concealing this. Ghosh said he discovered the SWA verdict later after missing the email and submitted it in court, adding that the complainant was a serial litigator.
He shared, “In 2016, we had just released Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh, which is the sequel to Kahaani, and Robin da (Robin Bhatt), who was part of the SWA, called me and said, ‘ Arey tune kuch kiya kya?’ I said, ‘What did I do?’ He said, ‘There is a gentleman who is accusing you of copying his script.’ I didn’t take it seriously because I had not. So I said, ‘No, I didn’t,’ and I gave all my details to Robin da.”
He explained, “I didn’t realize it. I didn’t take it seriously because it’s like somebody tells you, ‘you killed that person.’ ‘No, I haven’t!’ Why should I take it seriously? And that was my biggest mistake. And then suddenly, I had a criminal case against me because IP in our country is treated as a criminal case. So if I accuse you of plagiarizing – and that’s a big word – then a criminal case can be filed. Initially, I didn’t take it seriously. It’s like a little snowball that starts gathering momentum. It piles up, grows bigger, and before you realize it – boom! It has hit you. I was like, ‘yeh kya ho raha hai?’ It was one battle after another. It kept growing. The Supreme Court also took a lot of time. And thanks to the court, we got a judgment stating that whenever someone accuses another of copying any work, certain steps must be followed before making such a claim.”
Background
After Kahaani 2 was released, a case of copyright violation was filed against writer-director Sujoy Ghosh. The complainant, Umesh Prasad Mehta, had written a script for the film Sabak. He alleged that Ghosh had copied that script for Kahaani 2. A criminal complaint followed, and a June 7, 2018 summoning order by the Chief Judicial Magistrate triggered a legal battle that lasted nearly a decade.
In March 2026, the SC quashed the copyright infringement case, noting that Ghosh’s script had prior registration and that the complaint was baseless. Ghosh told the SC that the complainant was a serial litigator. He added that the complainant had approached the SWA, which found no similarity between the scripts and cautioned the complainant, but he allegedly concealed this verdict before proceeding with the case.
‘Would suggest fellow writers – don’t take such complaints lightly’
Writer Preeti Mamgain, who was hosting the session, and writer Jyoti Kapoor, then convenor of the SWA in Sujoy’s case, explained that regardless of who files a complaint – producer, director or writer – the SWA calls both parties. “We listen to both sides. Jo bhi verdict hota hai, we send it to both parties,” they said.
Mamgain added, “We have had cases where someone went directly to court, and the court sent the script to us.” Sujoy said, “The biggest mistake I made, which I would suggest to all fellow writers, was not taking it seriously. I didn’t give it the seriousness it deserved. There is no point in thinking you are safe because you know you are innocent.”
In this industry, you need a miracle to be able to make your first film-Raj Mehta
8:14 AM
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; December 25, 2019)
Filmmaker Karan Johar’s banner is like home turf for debutant director Raj Mehta, who has been with it since 2013. Out of the eight films that he has worked on as an assistant/associate, three belonged to Karan’s production house. The Delhi lad, whose fascination for cinema started by watching films, had to tackle family opposition and get a formal degree before entering the industry. Talking about his directorial debut, Good Newwz, Raj tells BT what it feels like to be a debutant in the business, what he learnt from Akshay Kumar, and what attracted him to this film. Excerpts...
Good Newwz revolves around In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). It’s an unconventional subject to make a directorial debut with. So, what drew you to it?
IVF was not the only attraction. The story and what happens to the couples in that dynamic drew me to Good Newwz. In fact, I was fascinated with Jyoti Kapoor’s story from the time I read it. Jyoti was undergoing IVF when she came across a real-life incident, which inspired her to write this story. Eventually, with a bit of work on her drafts, we had our script in place. The entire premise is unique. People are somewhat aware of what IVF is, but they still don’t know much. I am not married, and I didn’t know much about it. But after this film, I know how much this technology has helped reproductively challenged couples to become parents. For them, this method is godsend. If I ever face a difficulty having a child when I’m married, I will opt for IVF.
Do you think that couples, across economic and social strata, find it difficult to accept the fact that they can’t conceive through natural means? Sometimes, elders in the family also have reservations about couples opting for something that’s not natural...
It’s actually quite difficult to come to terms with the fact that you can’t have a child the natural way. It’s also true that often, IVF is not the immediate option. However, it has a high success ratio and Good Newwz might just ease the thought process for couples. It is probably a taboo subject or a matter of reservation within families and for the couple, because it’s not the natural route. Like there is an instance in the film where Akshay sir’s (Kumar) character, when advised to see a fertility expert, says, ‘Ab main kisi gupt rog specialist ke paas nahi jaaonga’. This line reflects on the kind of attitude people have towards treating a reproductive challenge. Men especially feel that the problem is not with them. It’s gradually changing, but will take a while before families stop having reservations about how a couple opts to conceive.
Reproductively challenged women often face social stigma, but what about men? How do they deal with the fact that they can’t have a baby without medical intervention?
I don’t know how many men even discuss the fact that there is a problem conceiving. They probably find it very embarrassing. In fact, discussing it with a doctor is also an issue for them, though the couple has to go through everything together. When you see that scene in the trailer where Akshay sir and Kareena (Kapoor Khan)’s characters are in the doctor’s clinic, you can tell that he is in denial about the situation and he’s there only because she forced him to. Men should just go with what their partner wants, especially in this aspect. That is the first step towards removing the reservation that the society has with treatments like IVF. Kami to kisi ki bhi ho sakti hai lekin usse dono ko ladna padta hai. It can’t be a lonely battle.
Though Akshay has been trying to balance his commercial entertainers with meaningful family films, how did he approach Good Newwz? Did he try to tone certain scenes down?
I was amazed to see how open he was to this story. In the last few years, he has done films like Toilet - Ek Prem Katha (2017) and Padman (2018). Given that he is a commercially successful star and producer, I was anticipating that he would tone down scenes attached to the plot where the couple is trying to have a baby. But he taught me how to stay true to the story without making the film inaccessible to families. That’s an art he taught me.
He enhanced the humour, some of it before we started shooting and some on the set, spontaneously. I find him crazy about his films, and I love him for that. He’s never thrown his weight around or done anything to hamper the film. It’s mind-blowing how he never gets complacent. In fact, Kareena and he set the precedent. They made it easy for everyone to function on the set. I am actually spoilt because of this experience.
This year has seen several new directors and yours is the last film that will release in 2019. It deals with a sensitive subject and features four top stars. As a debutant director, does this fact pressurise you?
Well, I hadn’t even thought about it until now, so I don’t know how to react to your question. Two years ago, I had written a script that Karan (Johar) had liked. We spent a year on it, but didn’t find an apt cast. In this industry, you need a miracle to be able to make your first film. I have friends who are still finding it difficult to get studios to mount their films the way they should be. I am just thankful that Good Newwz came my way. It happened on its own when Somen Mishra (creative head of the production house) sent me Jyoti’s first draft without giving me any details about it. In about four months from that day, we were ready to roll. It’s cliched, but true that your first film chooses you and then, you can decide where you head.
Script writer Jyoti Kapoor wins eight-month battle with Kunal Kohli for lifting her idea
8:05 AM
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 21, 2015)
Script-writer Jyoti Kapoor
has won a case of copyright violation and breach of confidence against
Bollywood director-producer Kunal Kohli of Amir Khan-starrer Fanaa fame.The Supreme Court in a landmark verdict on Monday ruled there were similarities between the storyline of Kohli's under-production film 'Phir Se' and Jyoti's script titled 'RSVP'. The court ordered that Kohli pay Jyoti a compensation of Rs 25 lakh and give her credit for 'story idea.' The verdict brought to end an eight-month battle which took Jyoti from multiple industry dispute resolution mechanisms to the High Court and then to the Supreme Court. Her victory could well redefine the station of script writers in the industry dominated by stars and powerful production houses.
While Jyoti, who spoke to Mumbai Mirror over the phone from Karnal in Haryana, described the Supreme Court verdict as a vindication of her stand, Kohli tweeted that he was happy to bring the matter to a close and focus on releasing the film. “The judges asked us to go for a settlement and I agreed, as I don't believe in fighting with members of my fraternity. Judges felt that creative people should settle to promote creativity and culture. Case is finally over. Release date to be announced soon,“ he tweeted.
Jyoti said the verdict has brought a sense of closure after eight months of back-breaking work that at times left her disillusioned. “The compensation will take care of the lawyer's fees. This is a professional, legal and moral victory for my fraternity and me. A friend who had given up on a copyright case half-way through called to say he was reopening the case,“ Jyoti said.
She said the first thing she did after the verdict was announced was polish off the dabba a relative had packed for her in the morning. “I was ravenous. Now I've come home to my parents in Karnal and my mother has cooked a delicious dinner for me,“ she said.
Jyoti's ordeal began when her agent emailed her script to Kunal. He met her and they discussed money and credit. She wanted top billing since she had given him a bound, 90-page script. But Kunal wanted certain changes and wanted to buy the script without giving any credit to her. The deal fell through.
Jyoti then opened negotiations with another producer with whom she signed an agreement and was given an advance.
Meanwhile, Kunal started his film, which will mark his acting debut, and from what she read in the papers, Jyoti detected an uncanny resemblance with her script. Subsequently, she filed a complaint with the Film Writers Association.
The Dispute Settlement Committee of the Film Writers Association ruled in Jyoti's favour, but Kohli appealed at the Appellate Tribunal, which comprises three senior writers. The Tribunal compared the two scripts without being told who had written which one. The Tribunal too detected major overlap in the two scripts. Since Jyoti had registered her script with the Film Writers Association before Kohli began work on his film, the Tribunal declared that it was a clear case of copyright violation.
The case then moved to the Joint Dispute Settlement Committee which comprises members of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees to which all 22 trade associations are affiliated. The representatives of the producers association (IMPPA) met with those of the Federation to sort out the issue. “But just before the case came up for hearing, some calls were made seeking confidential information about who was on board prompting Jyoti to move the Bombay High Court asking for a stay on Kohli's film shoot,“ said Anjum Rajabali, activist of the Film Writers Association.
The Bombay
High Court asked for a guarantee of Rs 50 lakh from Kunal but vacated
the stay. That was a dark day for Jyoti who recalls breaking down in
court and crying all the way home to Versova in the cab. Many
friends from the industry
told her to drop the case. They said she stood the risk of being
blacklisted. “Bills were mounting and I wanted to be able to focus on my
writing. For a moment, the thought of giving up the fight crossed my
mind. But then, my husband, Harsh Warrdhan, who's also a freelance
writer, and I decided to move the Supreme Court which in two hearings
gave its verdict. Today, I feel vindicated for all those who've been
through a similar situation and thank my family, friends, the fraternity
and even strangers for their unstinting support,“ she said.Anjum said the judgement is a shot in the arm for writers who will be encouraged to take their fight for copyright to court now. “Jyoti is not a hugely successful writer, nor does she have plenty of funds behind her,“ he said, “but she is a girl with considerable talent and spirit and has shown the fraternity the way ahead.“
Kunal has been asked to withdraw the defamation case against Jyoti. He has called her names in the media like 'extortionist' and 'publicity hungry'.
Bombay High Court rules interim stay on Kunal Kohli's film Phir Se
7:38 AM
Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 20, 2015)
The Bombay High Court on
Tuesday ruled an ad interim stay on the of Kunal Kohli's film,
Phir Se. Writer Jyoti Kapoor had moved court alleging that the movie is
based on her script, which she had narrated to Kohli in January 2013.
Through media reports last year, Jyoti found
similarities in Kohli's movie and her script and accused him of
plagiarism. While he denied her claims, she went to court this February. Jyoti said, “After I went to the Film Writers Association and the
Dispute Settlement Committee ruled in my favour, it wasn't easy. So
I went to court. I know a lot of my
writer friends have gone through this, but not everyone has the
wherewithal to go to court.“
When contacted Kunal said, “What I have learnt from this experience is free exchange of ideas is no longer permissible. I'd go a step further and say that it is prohibited. Debate on copyright n plagiarism is settled, it is neither. The industry has to move towards a more close and protective environment with regards to work in progress.What is left to be decided is merely one principle aspect; what is value of an idea that should be in direct proportion to authorship?“
When contacted Kunal said, “What I have learnt from this experience is free exchange of ideas is no longer permissible. I'd go a step further and say that it is prohibited. Debate on copyright n plagiarism is settled, it is neither. The industry has to move towards a more close and protective environment with regards to work in progress.What is left to be decided is merely one principle aspect; what is value of an idea that should be in direct proportion to authorship?“
Jyoti Kapoor moves HC to stay release of Kunal Kohli’s film allegedly based on her script
7:45 AM
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; March 21, 2015)
Writer Jyoti Kapoor has moved the Bombay High Court demanding a stay on the release of Kunal Kohli’s Phir Se, reiterating allegations that the film, slated for a May release, has been influenced by a story she once discussed with him. The case is likely to come up for hearing on March 25.
Lawyer Rahul Ajatshatru says, “Yes, Jyoti Kapoor has filed a case against Kunal Kohli and others asking for restraining release of the film Phir Se.” The Daawat-E-Ishq co-writer had, in November last year, accused Kohli of plagiarism.
Through media reports on the film, Jyoti found the plotline was eerily similar to a story she had narrated to Kohli in January 2013. He, however, denied the allegations but was asked to put his film’s shoot on hold till the case was resolved. The FWA, which sent both scripts to experts for comparison, ruled in Jyoti’s favour.
Producer Trilok Malhotra, who is currently making a film on Jyoti’s script, had also had filed a complaint with Indian Motion Picture Producers Association. After this, a dispute settlement committee was called by the Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees wherein Malhotra and Kohli were called to resolve the issue.
Despite repeated attempts, Kohli did not revert to our text messages or e-mails.
Writer Jyoti Kapoor has moved the Bombay High Court demanding a stay on the release of Kunal Kohli’s Phir Se, reiterating allegations that the film, slated for a May release, has been influenced by a story she once discussed with him. The case is likely to come up for hearing on March 25.
Lawyer Rahul Ajatshatru says, “Yes, Jyoti Kapoor has filed a case against Kunal Kohli and others asking for restraining release of the film Phir Se.” The Daawat-E-Ishq co-writer had, in November last year, accused Kohli of plagiarism.
Through media reports on the film, Jyoti found the plotline was eerily similar to a story she had narrated to Kohli in January 2013. He, however, denied the allegations but was asked to put his film’s shoot on hold till the case was resolved. The FWA, which sent both scripts to experts for comparison, ruled in Jyoti’s favour.
Producer Trilok Malhotra, who is currently making a film on Jyoti’s script, had also had filed a complaint with Indian Motion Picture Producers Association. After this, a dispute settlement committee was called by the Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees wherein Malhotra and Kohli were called to resolve the issue.
Despite repeated attempts, Kohli did not revert to our text messages or e-mails.
Film Writer's Association deems Kunal Kohli a plagiarist
8:13 AM
The Association found stark similarities between his and Jyoti Kapoor's script
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 27, 2014)
On Tuesday evening, the Dispute Settlement Committee of the Film Writer's Association passed a decision in favour of Jyoti Kapoor in the plagiarism case she had filed against filmmaker Kunal Kohli.
An expert panel from the FWA went through both the scripts and observed that "some of the situations and sequences are quite unique to merit attention. Taking into account the fact that the respondent (Kunal Kohli) had access to the complainant's script, these points of similarities suggest that the respondent's work was definitely influenced by the complainant's work."
Jyoti had accused Kunal of stealing her script. She had claimed that Kunal met her in January last year and expressed interest in buying a script of hers. Since the duo couldn't agree on credit-sharing and the renumeration, Jyoti, who has previously written Daawat-e-Ishq, took her script to another production house.
She was in for a rude shock when she learnt that Kunal is directing a film, based on the same premise as the script she had shared with him. She filed a case against him with the FWA on October 10 this year, while Kunal maintained that his was an original script written by him and Sukhmini Sadana.
Hours after the FWA verdict, Mirror spoke to Jyoti, who said, "For me, this means truth and justice has prevailed."
However, Kunal reacted sharply to this. Speaking from London, where he has already started shooting the film based on the contested script, he said, "The FWA's decision is based on 3 points that are non-existent in my script. I've appealed against that."
Jyoti maintains that she did not file the case for a monetary settlement. "Kunal needs to stop this film and move on to another script. Since my script has already been acquired by another production house, I am not looking for money. This fight was for one's rights as a writer to pitch one's work without the fear of the idea being stolen."
To which Kunal shot back, saying, "She's lying that she doesn't want money. I have a letter from her lawyer asking for a monetary settlement."
--------------------------
Film writers celebrate Jyoti Kapoor’s victory, but rue lack of respect for original ideas
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; November 27, 2014)
The Bollywood writers’ fraternity has hailed the judgment of the Film Writers Association (FWA) upholding Jyoti Kapoor’s plagiarism allegations against filmmaker Kunal Kohli.
The association has stated that Kohli’s upcoming project, Phir Se, has been influenced by the Daawat-E-Ishq writer’s story that she had sent to him much before he completed his script. Jyoti had filed the complaint against Kohli earlier this month.
Vinod Rangnath, chairman of Dispute Settlement Committee of FWA, confirms Jyoti’s victory while the visibly excited writer tells hitlist, “I am glad that we are talking about things like copyright protection and ethics which were almost non-existent in the industry until recently. I look at the FWA judgment as a landmark decision and a moral victory, not only for me but also fellow writers who have faced a similar situation. Until we stand up for our own rights, no one else will.”
Following the verdict, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has written to the filmmaker asking him to stop work on his project until their meeting with the joint dispute settlement committee of Indian Motion Picture Producers Association about the case takes place on December 10.
Dilip Pithwa, general secretary of FWICE, says: “We have already notified Kunal Kohli about the FWA verdict which has ruled in Jyoti Kapoor’s favour. If he continues shooting for the film, we will launch a non- cooperation movement against him.”
Copyright society needed
While the writers’ community has welcomed Jyoti’s victory, it feels there still are other issues that need to be ironed out. Writer Sanjay Chauhan, who has penned the script for films like I am Kalam and Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Maara, says the concept of a ‘film industry’ was a misnomer. “Had that been the case, writers would have been paid for research and development for a project, like it happens in the West. I am glad that more writers have started fighting for their rights and the FWA and the Indian Copyright (Amendment) Act have given them the courage to speak out. Of course, there are a few producers like Ritesh Sidhwani who understand the rights of a writer and will encourage you to register your script before sending it to their office,” he states.
Scriptwriters believe that though awareness about their rights is gradually growing, original ideas aren’t worth much. Anand Sivakumaran, who has written for films like Kalyug and Nazar, states, “At the international stage, for every character you create, you have a copyright on it and make money for a lifetime.Here, we can keep fighting individual battles but fundamentally nothing will change unless a copyright society is formed and the amended Act is implemented. In our industry, only money is respected so the one who gets paid Rs 50 crore is held in high regard, not people with original ideas.”
No room for originality?
Though the film industry has been stressing on the fact that content is the king, the ground reality is dramatically different, argues writer-director Amit Masurkar. He says, “The producers don’t respect writers as they are ruled by ‘ stars’. Hearing industry people say that there no good writers in Bollywood makes me laugh as it is all rubbish. We are there and have gone to them with our script but they didn’t bother reading it. They don’t mind buying the rights of a foreign film for Rs 50 lakh but will not pay a writer with an original idea.”
Amit is full of praise for Jyoti for pursuing the case against Kohli. He says plagiarism cases are commonplace in Bollywood. Without divulging the names of those who stole his ideas, he recalls, “I am someone who discusses ideas openly and one of my friends used it to his advantage. A day before his film was to release, he called me up to inform that he has stolen a sequence from my script and asked me not to create a ruckus! On another occasion, a director working with a famed studio lifted the first half of my script and sent it to a star. Luckily, the actor informed me about the same. The film eventually was not made, so I did not knock on FWA’s doors.”
Case file
Writer Jyoti Kapoor filed a case with Film Writers Association (FWA) earlier this month after she came across media reports about Kunal Kohli’s film, Phir Se.
Jyoti found his premise similar to the one she had narrated to him in January 2013. Kunal Kohli denied the allegations but was asked to put his film’s shoot on hold till the case was resolved. The FWA sent both scripts to experts for comparsion and uncanny similarities were found. Producer Trilok Malhotra is now making a film on Jyoti’s script.
Kunal Kohli asked to suspend shoot of Phir Se due to plagiarism charges?
7:54 AM
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; November 10, 2014)
Daawat-E- Ishq co-writer, Jyoti Kapoor has filed a complaint with the Film
Writers Association ( FWA) alleging director Kunal Kohli’s next film,
Phir Se, is based on the story she had narrated to him last year. The
case is now pending before the FWA’s dispute settlement committee with
Kohli denying the accusations.An industry source says, “Kapoor’s agency had sent her script to Kunal Kohli early last year. He liked it a lot and when he met her, he suggested certain changes in the script. There were also some issues regarding credit and money. Eventually, the deal did not materialise.” Kapoor is then said to have taken the script to veteran production executive, Trilok Malhotra to make the film.
However, when Kohli announced about his film, she felt that it bore uncanny resemblance to her story. The source adds, “Her agency had e-mailed the script to Kohli. His quotes about his film that have been flashed in the media also indicate that it is Kapoor’s story.
Defending himself, Kohli labels the allegations as a “case of harassment” and questions Kapoor’s claims. “How does she know which film I am making? This is being done just to extort money and so that one can be written about and get their two minutes of fame. Fraud cases like this discourage producer-directors from meeting new talent as you can never predict the intentions of people you meet,” he rues.
Kapoor refuses to divulge details of the case but says, “Neither my producer nor I want any money from Kohli. We just want him to stop making his film. As far as my two minutes of fame is concerned, Mr Kohli should check his facts. I am a graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India and a former journalist.
I have really worked hard to reach where I am in this industry.”
Malhotra, who is making a film with Kapoor’s story, has also filed a case with the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA). Association president, T P Aggarwal confirms the news, saying: “Our member Trilok Malhotra came to us along with the writer with the complaint that he has the rights to the story and Kohli cannot make it. He has already paid the money to the writer. We have written to Kunal Kohli to attend the dispute meeting and he cannot start shooting for the film till issue is resolved.”
Meanwhile, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has sent a letter to Kohli preventing him from starting the shoot for his film. General secretary of FWICE, Dilip Pithwa says, “The case is currently under dispute. Kohli was called for the dispute settlement committee meeting which he did not attend. So we have sent him a letter asking him not to start shooting for his film till the case is resolved. If he does not comply to our directions, we will be forced to launch a non- cooperation movement against him.”
Both Kohli and president of Film and Television Producer Guild, Mukesh Bhatt denied having received any such letter from the FWICE. Bhatt states, “I have not received any such intimation from the FWICE and I am not saying this to protect my member. Let the FWA compare the two scripts and give its verdict. But nobody has the right to stop anybody’s work.”
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