Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Mumbai Police Register FIR in ‘Hera Pheri’ Rights Dispute After Nadiadwala’s Complaint

The case signals a shift from a contract dispute to a police probe with high stakes for ownership rights.

Overview

  • Amboli police, who registered an FIR on April 27, named Gopala Pillai Vijaykumar and M. Paul Michael under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for cheating and defamation as the investigation begins.
  • Nadiadwala says he bought remake rights on March 24, 2000, for ₹4.5 lakh covering Hindi and other non-southern languages, and he used that deal to make Hera Pheri in 2000 and its 2006 sequel.
  • The dispute resurfaced after a December 30, 2024 copyright notice, followed by an October 2025 Madras High Court petition in which Vijaykumar claimed new ownership through Seven Arts from a 2022 transaction.
  • The complaint alleges fresh demands of ₹60 lakh and a 25% share of profits along with false publicity using actors’ names, which he says harmed his reputation and stalled corporate plans.
  • In India, remake and language rights are often split by region, which can create chain-of-title clashes like this one when different parties later assert overlapping claims.