JioStar has responded to Phantom Studios’ Rs 250 crore lawsuit over Queen 2, denying allegations that the upcoming Kangana Ranaut-starrer infringes upon the intellectual property rights of the 2014 hit Queen. The production house maintained that the film is an original project and has no creative connection with the National Award-winning drama.
JioStar breaks silence on Queen 2 lawsuit, says Kangana Ranaut film is ‘an original, independent story’
The statement comes days after Phantom Studios approached the Bombay High Court, alleging that JioStar had used the Queen intellectual property without authorisation. The studio has claimed ownership of 50 per cent of the original film’s intellectual property rights and argued that it had not granted permission for any sequel or derivative work.
JioStar says Queen 2 is an original film
In a statement published by Mid-Day, JioStar rejected the allegations and clarified that its collaboration with Kangana Ranaut is unrelated to the original Queen. “StarStudio18 is presently working with Ms Kangana Ranaut on a fresh production that is an original, independent story. It has no narrative, character or creative connection to any prior work, and is neither a sequel nor a prequel to any existing title,” the company said.
The production house also dismissed claims that the use of the word “Queen” in the title amounted to copyright infringement.
‘Queen’ is a common noun, says production house
Addressing Phantom Studios’ objections, JioStar argued that the title itself cannot be exclusively owned. “The word ‘Queen’ is a part of the English language. No party can claim exclusive ownership over a common noun, and any such claim has no basis in law. JioStar is aware of the litigation and will defend its position through the appropriate legal process. We have full confidence in the merits of our case,” the statement read.
The company indicated that it intends to contest the case in court.
Released in 2014, Queen earned widespread critical acclaim and won two National Film Awards, including Best Actress for Kangana Ranaut. The film was jointly produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Phantom Films, which was founded by Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Madhu Mantena and Vikas Bahl. Although Phantom Films was dissolved in 2018, it was revived as Phantom Studios in 2021.
Interestingly, Queen 2 reunites Kangana Ranaut with director Vikas Bahl, who also helmed the original film. The project reportedly went on floors earlier this year and has now entered the post-production stage.
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