There Can Only Be One Rajini: HC

CHENNAI:An interim stay restraining Mumbai-based producers from using the name, image and caricature and imitation of the style of superstar Rajinikanth in their Hindi feature film Main Hoon Rajinikanth was made permanent by the Madras High Court on February 3.

The personality right vests on the person, who has attained the status of celebrity, and it has been categorically admitted by Varsha Productions, Rizvi Mansion Co-operative Society in Mahim West, Mumbai, the producers of the Hindi film themselves that Rajinikanth is a well acclaimed actor with high reputation and he is a doyen of the film industry in India. If any person uses the name of that celebrity without his permission, he is entitled for injunction since he could be easily identified by the use of his name by the others, Justice R Subbhiah has observed.

Rajinikanth (64), who is well known for his unique style and famous one-liners has made out a prima facie case for making the interim injunction absolute, judge added and allowed Rajini’s application and a civil suit.

Originally, while granting interim relief on September 17 last year on the application, Justice S Tamilvanan had restrained the company, its directors, principal officers, successors-in-business, assigns, servants, agents, distributors, advertisers or any one claiming rights through the company from using Rajini’s name/image/caricature/style of delivering dialogues in film or in any of the forthcoming projects/films in any manner whatsoever amounting to infiltration of his personality rights by such unauthorised use.

Rajini had submitted that despite he being exceptionally well known and enjoying the adoration and recognition of his fans across the globe, he has deliberately chosen not to authorise any biopic featuring him or create any work based upon his personal self. This is due to the fact that he is personally against such gross commercialisation of his name and reputation and this has been his personal choice for the past several decades.