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Synopsis

Cine 1 Studios, a co-producer of the Bollywood film 'Animal,' has approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on its release on Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms, digital streaming services, and satellite broadcast.

The film, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, premiered in theaters on December 1, 2023, and is scheduled for an OTT release on Netflix on January 26.

Cine 1 Studios Pvt. Ltd. alleges a breach of agreement, asserting that it has not received any payment, while defendant and co-producer Super Cassettes Industries Pvt Ltd claims that Rs 2.6 crore was paid to Cine 1 Studios, which the latter failed to disclose to the court.

The bench of Justice Sanjeev Narula examined the document presented by the defendant regarding the alleged payment of Rs 2.6 crore to Cine 1 Studios.

The court, on inquiring about the payment, was informed by Cine 1 Studios' counsel that he was unaware of it, promising to seek instructions from the client and inform the court accordingly.

The court was apprised that the authorized signatory of Cine 1 Studios, Murad Khetani, would be present before the court on January 18, 2024 the next hearing date.

Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Cine 1 Studios, contended that the plaintiff had not received any information about the film's revenue, box office collections, music, satellite, or internet rights. Sethi submitted that Super Cassettes had been collecting funds without sharing any proceeds and criticized their lack of respect for the agreement.

According to the plaintiff's claim, both production houses entered into an agreement, granting Cine 1 Studios a 35% profit share and intellectual property rights in the movie.

Senior Advocate Amit Sibal, on behalf of Super Cassettes, contended that Cine 1 Studios made no financial investment in the film, and all expenses were borne by his client. He pointed to a signed document between the parties, claiming that Cine 1 Studios had relinquished its intellectual property rights for a consideration of Rs 2.6 crore, a fact allegedly concealed from the court.

The suit alleges that Super Cassettes incurred expenses and received revenues without Cine 1's approval, violating the profit-share agreement.

Case Title: Cine1 Studios Private Limited v. Super Cassettes Industries Pvt, Ltd. & Ors.