NEW DELHI : The Delhi High Court has issued summons to Super Cassettes and Netflix on a suit filed by Cine 1 Studios, a co-producer of Ranbir Kapoor-starrer ‘Animal’ seeking to restrain its release on digital streaming platforms and satellite broadcast.
While issuing summons to Super Cassettes Industries Pvt Ltd, co-producer of the film, and Cluver Max Entertainment Pvt Ltd (formerly known as Sony Pictures Networks Ltd), Justice Sanjeev Narula asked them to file affidavits of admission or denial of the documents produced by the plaintiff. “Thus, let the plaint be registered as a suit. Issue summons,” the high court ordered.
In the previous hearing, Cine 1 submitted that they had no details about the revenues from box office sales and the digital and satellite rights of the film.
T series did not provide the agreement copies related to the digital and satellite rights of the film with Netflix and Culver Max Entertainment, nor was any information given about the work tilted ‘Animal Park’, a derivative work based on the film, the plaintiff said.
It was also submitted that the client has “not been paid even a single penny.”
Senior advocate Amit Sibal, representing T-series said the plaintiff company had made no investment in the film. Pointing out certain documents, he argued that in August 2022, the parties had executed two agreements, amendments to the Acquisition Agreement of September 2019. The plaintiff had concealed this critical material information from the court, Sibar argued.
As per the plea “Defendant No 1 (T-Series) is bent upon destroying the plaintiffs rights in the film and its derivatives in a brazen manner.”