The Bombay High Court has allowed Akshay Kumar’s movie Sky Force to release, declining a request from animator Sandeep Gangatkar, who claimed copyright infringement over his unpublished script, Fire Bird. The court did not grant a pre-screening or injunction but requested responses from the filmmakers within four weeks. The dispute continues.
Mumbai: Akshay Kumar’s much-anticipated movie, Sky Force, is set to hit theatres tomorrow after the Bombay High Court on Thursday refused to stay its release. The Court declined to grant an interim injunction in a copyright infringement case filed by animator and creative director Sandeep Gangatkar, who alleged similarities between the movie and his original, unpublished script titled Fire Bird.
Justice Manish Pitale, while refusing to halt the film’s release, denied Gangatkar’s request to pre-screen the movie. The Court, however, directed the director and producers of the film to file their responses within four weeks.
Sky Force, directed by Sandeep Kewlani and produced by Maddock Films and Jio Studios, features Akshay Kumar, Sara Ali Khan, Nimrat Kaur, and Veer Pahariya.
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Gangatkar’s Allegations
Gangatkar’s petition accused the film’s creators of copyright infringement, claiming they used his unpublished script Fire Bird without permission. His counsel argued that the defendants had access to his script and directly reproduced several elements from it.
“The Defendants have ransacked not only the Plaintiff’s expression of the unique germ of the idea but also the detailed story elements from the script and have produced the said film,” the plea stated.
The controversy began after the release of Sky Force’s trailer on January 5, which Gangatkar claims contained clear reproductions of his creative work. He alleged that despite repeated efforts to engage with the filmmakers through emails and meetings, his grievances were not addressed.
“The plaintiff has tried to amicably address his grievance with the defendants as soon as he came across the trailer on January 6, 2025,”
his petition noted. Gangatkar further accused the defendants of using delaying tactics to avoid resolving the dispute.
Relief Sought by Gangatkar
Gangatkar had sought an injunction to stop the release and distribution of Sky Force. He also requested that all promotional material and advertisements for the film be destroyed.
Despite his plea, the Court chose not to pass any interim orders but issued notices to the defendants, asking them to file their replies.
Legal Teams
Advocate Hiren Kamod and his team represented Gangatkar, while the defendants were represented by notable legal professionals, including Senior Advocates Venkatesh Dhond, Ravi Kadam, and Birendra Saraf, along with their respective teams.
While the Court did not grant relief to Gangatkar, the copyright infringement case remains ongoing. The defendants have been asked to respond within four weeks, and further proceedings will determine the case’s outcome.
With no legal hurdles delaying its release, audiences can now look forward to watching Sky Force in theatres starting tomorrow.
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