‘Animal’ OTT release delayed over dispute

Cine 1 Studios, a co-producer of the Bollywood film "Animal", filed a petition with the Delhi High Court on Monday, requesting a halt to its release on OTT platforms, digital streaming services, and satellite broadcast, according to reports by NDTV. 

Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the movie premiered in theatres on December 1, 2023, with its scheduled OTT release on Netflix slated for January 26.

Cine 1 Studios Pvt Ltd alleged a breach of agreement, asserting they had not received any payment. The defendant and co-producer, Super Cassettes Industries Pvt Ltd, countered, stating that Rs 2.6 crore was indeed paid to the plaintiff, a fact not disclosed to the court.

Justice Sanjeev Narula examined the document provided by the defendant, detailing a payment of Rs 2.6 crore to the plaintiff.

When questioned by the judge regarding the asserted payment, the counsel for Cine 1 Studios expressed unawareness, stating that the document had not been brought to his attention. The lawyer assured the court that he would seek instructions from his client and provide the necessary information.

It was conveyed to the court that the plaintiff's counsel would secure the attendance of Cine 1 Studios' authorised signatory, Murad Khetani, on January 18, the upcoming hearing date.

Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Cine 1 Studios, stated that the plaintiff lacked information regarding the film's revenue, box office collections, as well as the rights pertaining to music, satellite, or internet distribution.

"They (Super Cassettes) have been gathering all the funds, yet I haven't received a single penny. I've had a longstanding relationship with them, but they show no regard for the agreement. Out of respect for the relationship and the contract's sanctity, I refrained from hastily approaching the court," he asserted.

The complaint stated that the two production houses had a collaborative agreement to produce the film. According to Cine 1's claim, they were entitled to a 35% profit share and 35% intellectual property rights under this agreement.

The complaint alleged that Super Cassettes, without Cine 1's approval, expended funds on producing, promoting, and releasing the film. Although they garnered revenue from box office sales, the details were not shared with Cine 1. Additionally, despite the profit-sharing agreement, Super Cassettes failed to make any payments to the plaintiff.

Senior Advocate Amit Sibal, representing Super Cassettes, contended that the plaintiff had not invested any money in the film, and all expenses were covered by his client.

Informing the judge about a document mutually signed by the parties, he argued that the plaintiff omitted to disclose that on August 2, 2022, it relinquished all intellectual property rights in the film.

"In the amended agreement, he (Cine 1) removed the clause entitling him to 35 percent of intellectual property rights in the film... All of this was waived in exchange for the consideration of Rs 2.6 crore, for which he issued an invoice," Sibal stated.

He emphasised that this crucial and significant information had been withheld from the court.