One day before Doosra is due in theatres on October 23, 2026, Sourav Ganguly’s urgent plea has met “No stay” from Justice Dinesh Bhatt, who kept the suit for the next day.
New Delhi: For now, the Delhi High Court refuses to stay release of Doosra, the film that former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and Luv Films LLP have challenged in a suit alleging unauthorised commercial use of his personality, identity and professional achievements. On Thursday (October 22), no interim order was passed holding the film back [Sourav Ganguly and Another v. Makers of the Film Doosra and Others].
Justice Dinesh Bhatt, sitting singly, took up the matter on an urgent listing and heard both sides. His words to the parties were that he was “simply keeping it for tomorrow”, followed by: “No stay.”
A first day without a restraint
The first day of hearing ended with no direction against the film. Reasons for declining relief at this stage have not been reported. The Court has not ruled on the merits of the personality rights claim, nor on the defendants’ contention that the film is a work of fiction.
Fiction, they say, and licensed footage
Opposing the plea, senior counsel for the defendants described Doosra as no biopic: it is the story, they said, of a girl from Rajasthan who draws inspiration from Mr Ganguly. Their further submission was that the NatWest Series footage was duly licensed from the BCCI or the authorised rights holder, and that a player holds no right over such footage.
What the plaintiffs allege
Appearing for the plaintiffs, counsel alleged that Mr Ganguly’s personality rights have been violated. No licence had been granted by him, she submitted, and she called him the “pseudo hero” of the film. Her points included the trailer, about one third of which she said carries his footage, and an interview in which the director refers to him. As the plaint has it, the film and its promotion lean again and again on his captaincy, his achievements and the moment at Lord’s after India’s victory in the 2002 NatWest Series, using his recognisable identity, reputation and goodwill without his consent.
The 2021 agreement and the authorised biopic
Directed by Abhinay Deo, the film is scheduled for release on October 23, 2026. According to the plaint, Luv Films LLP announced in September 2021 that it would produce Mr Ganguly’s biopic, and he signed an agreement with it on August 5, 2021 granting exclusive rights to develop and exploit audiovisual content on his life, a biographical film included. Luv Films says it has invested substantial sums in that authorised biopic, which has finished shooting, and has licensed exploitation rights to third parties. These are the plaintiffs’ assertions at an interim stage and have not been tested.
The defendants include the film’s producers, its director, production entities and the distributor PVR INOX. The plaintiffs claim that the film puts at risk the value and exclusivity of the rights held by Luv Films and damages the market position of the authorised biopic.
Where earlier film-release challenges stood
In recent months the Delhi High Court has heard a run of personality rights suits by public figures, several of which this site has covered. Where a film release is challenged, the question has usually been how such claims weigh against the filmmakers’ freedom of expression under Article 19(1)(a). In Krishna Kishore Singh v. Sarla A. Saraogi (CS(COMM) 187/2021), Justice C. Hari Shankar declined on July 11, 2023 to injunct the film Nyay: The Justice, holding among other things that personality and publicity rights are not heritable.
That case concerned a deceased actor, whereas the Ganguly suit involves a living person and a contractual claim by his authorised biopic producer, so it will be decided on its own facts.
Release goes ahead, the suit stays alive
Since there is no stay, the film heads towards its scheduled release while the suit stays pending. The day’s result shows public figures that urgent interim relief against a release does not follow merely because personality rights are claimed, particularly where the makers say the work is fictional and the footage was licensed. The Court has expressed no view on the merits, and the allegations on both sides remain untested.
Case Title: Sourav Ganguly and Another v. Makers of the Film Doosra and Others [suit number not reported]
Bench: Justice Dinesh Bhatt, Delhi High Court
Date of Order: October 22, 2026
Appearances: Counsel for the plaintiffs and senior counsel for the defendants (names not reported)