Doosra will open in cinemas as scheduled on October 23 after the Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to stay its release. The ruling came in a suit filed by former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and production house Luv Films LLP, who claim the film exploits his personality rights.
What the court said
Justice Dinesh Bhatt was direct about the immediate outcome. “I have said no stay, so the film can go on,” the court observed, according to Bar and Bench. The case is listed for another hearing on October 23, the same day the film arrives in theatres.
The complaint
Ganguly and Luv Films asked the court to restrain the film’s theatrical, digital and other releases, along with its promotional material. Their suit argues that Doosra uses landmark moments from Ganguly’s career, especially his captaincy in the 2002 NatWest Series final and his bare-chested celebration on the Lord’s balcony, to generate commercial interest and suggest his association with the film.
The petitioners say their claim goes beyond cricket footage. Personality rights, in simple terms, give a person control over the commercial use of their name, image, likeness or other distinctive markers. Ganguly signed an agreement with Luv Films on August 5, 2021, giving the studio exclusive rights to develop a biopic. That authorised project, Dada – The Sourav Ganguly Story, is scheduled for May 14, 2027.
- The trailer: launched on October 12, and the suit says it prominently references Ganguly’s leadership and the 2002 NatWest final.
- The claim: the petitioners allege unauthorised commercial exploitation and a risk that audiences may think Ganguly endorsed the film.
- The demand: an injunction against the film’s release and its promotional campaign.
The makers’ defence
Counsel for the film offered a different reading. Doosra is not a biopic, the court was told, but the story of a girl from Rajasthan who draws inspiration from Ganguly. A licence for the NatWest footage was taken from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the defence added, and a player has no right over that footage.
What Doosra is about
Set against India’s famous 2002 NatWest Series victory over England, Doosra follows Tara, a young girl who struggles to fit into her conservative household. Watching Ganguly’s defiant celebration inspires her to question the expectations placed on her and find the courage to challenge the rules governing her own life.
The film is produced by Masha Sajdeh and Rohan Sajdeh, with Neeta Shah as co-producer. Plabita Borthakur leads the cast as Tara, alongside Ankur Vikal, Samidha Guru, Tvisha Seema and Krishna Gokani. The story and screenplay are by Agnello Oswin Dias, with music by Ram Sampat.
For Bollywood fans, the decision means the release date stands; for the industry, the suit is a useful test of where personality rights end and fiction inspired by public sporting moments begins.
Source: Hindustan Times