RGV fined Rs 10 lakh for Sholay remake

The Delhi High Court has slapped a Rs.10 lakh fine on filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma and his production house for “intentionally and deliberately” coming out with the remake of 1975 blockbuster Sholay, violating the exclusive copyright vested with its director Ramesh Sippy.

The judgment came on a lawsuit filed by Sascha Sippy, son and grandson of original Sholay’s producers Vijay Sippy and G. P. Sippy, in which he alleged that the remake — Ram Gopal Varma Ke Sholay — violated the exclusive copyright held by the Sholay Media and Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

The Court imposed the fine of Rs.10 lakh as “punitive damages” on Varma, his production house M/S RGV Productions Pvt. Ltd. as well as Varma Corporation Ltd. and Madhu Varma, restraining them from using any character like Gabbar or Gabbar Singh in the original film.

The Court said Varma and others “in the present case have intentionally and deliberately brought the movie in violation of plaintiffs’ exclusive moral rights of copyright.”