Court Documents Reveal Fake Agreement in 'Dhamal' Copyright Case

Legal filings submitted to the Mumbai Metropolitan Police expose a fabricated agreement at the heart of the ‘Dhamal’ copyright scandal. The case involves producer Ashok Navl Kumar Thakaria and director Indra Kumar, who are accused of defrauding Grand Master, a leading distribution firm owned by Vikas Baldevraj Sahni. The company asserts that on October 15, 2019, it signed a legitimate contract with Maruti International for the permanent purchase of worldwide distribution, digital and copyright rights of the comedy ‘Dhamal’ for a sum of Rs 1.5 crore.

The producers allegedly guaranteed that the film’s rights would remain exclusive to Grand Master. Yet, records indicate that the OTT and digital rights were sold to Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd as early as 2015. To conceal this breach, the accused purportedly showed a forged bond‑paper agreement and, in October 2020, attempted a revised deal with Shemaroo aimed at nullifying Grand Master’s legal standing. The complainant’s evidence includes a government‑issued copyright registration dated April 28, 2023, confirming Grand Master’s ownership, and a January 2020 letter transferring the original negative to the distributor. The fraudulent conduct forced the cancellation of pending digital platform agreements, causing losses of several crore rupees. After a legal notice on January 2, 2023, went ignored, the matter was escalated to the police, who are now probing the allegations.