Days ahead of release, fight over Fanney Khan’s distribution rights reaches SC [Read Order]

Fanney Khan, starring Anil Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, hit a major roadblock after producer Vashu Bhagnani on Monday (July 30th, 2018) moved the Supreme Court against the film's release on August 3.

Vashu Bhagnani has alleged that the film's distribution rights were given to his company Pooja Entertainment & Films Ltd, for Rs. 10 crore by Prernaa Arora of KriArj Entertainment, who was earlier co-producing Fanney Khan with Bhushan Kumar’s T-series. Out of the total amount Rs. 8.5 crore was paid in advance and the rest was supposed to be paid a week before the release of the film.

However, the deal has not been honoured. Mr. Bhagnani had earlier filed two separate petitions in the Delhi and Bombay High Courts and on July 19, the Delhi High Court instructed Mr. Bhagnani to not interfere with the film's release. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear Mr. Bhagnani's case on August 1.

T-Series, the respondent in the case has claimed that Prernaa Arora's company was prohibited from signing any contract with the third party without a written consent from T-Series. Therefore, any agreement that KriArj may have entered into with Pooja Entertainment & Films Ltd, is void in law.

Meanwhile, upcoming film Batti Gul Meter Chalu, starring Shahid Kapoor, Yami Gautam, and Shraddha Kapoor, was also a part of the aforementioned contract signed between Vashu Bhagnani and Prernaa Arora's companies.

Fanney Khan is directed by Atul Manjrekar and it also stars Rajkummar Rao. Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is also one of the film's producers.