Co-Producer of Animal Files Court Petition to Halt OTT Release

Cine 1 Studios, a co-producer of the Bollywood film Animal, has approached the Delhi High Court, seeking a halt to its release on OTT platforms, digital streaming services, and satellite broadcast. The movie, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, premiered in theaters on December 1, 2023, and is scheduled for release on Netflix on January 26.

Cine 1 Studios Pvt Ltd alleges a breach of agreement, stating that it has not received any payment. The defendant and another co-producer, Super Cassettes Industries Pvt Ltd, argue that ₹2.6 crore was indeed paid to the plaintiff, a fact not disclosed to the court.

Justice Sanjeev Narula reviewed documents indicating a payment of ₹2.6 crore to the plaintiff, which the plaintiff's counsel was unaware of. The court was informed that the plaintiff's counsel would ensure the presence of the authorized signatory of Cine 1 Studios on January 18, the next hearing date.

Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Cine 1 Studios, stated that the plaintiff had not received information about the film's revenue, box office collection, music, satellite, or internet rights. He claimed that Super Cassettes collected money but did not pay anything to Cine 1 Studios, despite the profit-sharing agreement.

The plaintiff contends that, under the agreement, it had a 35% profit share and 35% intellectual property rights in the movie. The plaint alleges that Super Cassettes incurred expenses without Cine 1's approval, did not share revenue details, and failed to make any payments despite the profit-sharing agreement.

Senior advocate Amit Sibal, representing Super Cassettes, argued that the plaintiff invested no money in the film, and all expenses were borne by his client. He revealed a document signed between the parties, claiming that on August 2, 2022, Cine 1 Studios had given up all its intellectual property rights in the film, a fact allegedly concealed from the court.