HYDERABAD: Vijay-starrer 'Bigil' which was supposed to release on Amazon Prime on December 13, is unlikely to make it, as a Hyderabad civil court has issued an interim injunction order barring the digital release of the film. The film’s Telugu version, Whistle, will also not be available for digital release.
The court's order came after Hyderabad-based filmmaker Nandi Chinni Kumar filed a lawsuit against 'Bigil' director Atlee and actor Vijay, stating they have violated a copyright agreement. According to Kumar, the film has "striking similarities" with the lifestory of football player Akhilesh Paul, whose "exclusive biography copyright", Kumar claims to have accquired back in 2018. Kumar had also petitioned the Telangana Cinema Writers Association in September this year regarding the same.
The filmmaker had requested the court to issue an injuction on theatrical release and satellite release too, but the court issued an interim injunction only on the digital space.
The order reads, “In the result the interim order granted and the respondent No. 8 (Amazon India/ Amazon Prime) is restrained from uploading and streaming the film Bigil/Whistle in YouTube or other modes of broadcasting system until further orders of court”.
As for the 'Bigil' filmmakers, there is only one way to go, they will now have to approach the court and get an order in their favour before the film hits the small screen.
“I had made a series of complaints and the makers of Bigil did not respond. I am happy to get the injunction,” Kumar said to HuffPost India.
Along with 'Bigil', the filmmaker has also sued the makers of the Hindi film 'Jhund', directed by Nagraj Manjule and stars Amitabh Bachchan, alleging that this film also has used Akhilesh Paul’s life story.