The film Doosra violates Sourav Ganguly’s personality rights, the Delhi High Court has held, directing its makers to carry a no-consent disclaimer and furnish a Rs 2 crore bank guarantee, failing which the film cannot be commercially exploited.
New Delhi: Two days to add a disclaimer and two weeks to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 2 crore: those are the conditions the Delhi High Court set on Friday for the makers of Doosra, ruling that the film violates former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly’s personality and publicity rights and that the disclaimer must state he did not consent to the use of his persona [Sourav Ganguly and Another v. Makers of the Film Doosra and Others].
Justice Tejas Karia held that Ganguly’s personality and publicity rights are so intertwined with the story of the film that it would not be feasible to remove the infringing portions from it.
The road to Friday’s ruling
The High Court had declined to stay the theatrical release on October 22, and on October 23 it asked the producers to arrange a screening for the Court while declining an oral request to halt the OTT release. Friday’s ruling follows that viewing stage.
What Ganguly and Luv Films alleged
Ganguly and the production house Luv Films LLP sued to restrain the theatrical, digital and other releases of Doosra and the circulation of its promotional material. They alleged that the film exploited his life events, particularly his captaincy in the 2002 NatWest series final at Lord’s and his shirtless celebration on the Lord’s balcony, without authorisation.
According to the suit, Ganguly entered into an agreement with Luv Films on August 5, 2021, granting it exclusive rights to produce audiovisual content on his life, including the authorised biopic Dada – The Sourav Ganguly Story, scheduled for release on May 14, 2027. The plaintiffs contended that the trailer and promotional campaign of Doosra, launched on October 12, capitalised on Ganguly’s identity and could create the impression that he had endorsed the film.
The suit also relied on an October 13 interview in which director Abhinay Deo spoke of how the 2002 NatWest final and milestones in Ganguly’s career shaped the film’s fictional character, Tara. The makers had maintained that the film is a work of fiction.
Disclaimer, guarantee and the consequence of default
The makers, Ramesh Deo Productions Private Limited, must carry a disclaimer in Hindi and English at both the start and the end of the film, stating clearly that Ganguly did not consent to the use of his persona and that the film is not intended to violate his personality and publicity rights. The disclaimer must be added within two days of the order.
They must also furnish an unconditional bank guarantee of Rs 2 crore with the Registrar of the High Court within two weeks. If any of these conditions is not met, the makers and anyone acting on their behalf will be restrained from making commercial use of the film or any aspect of it.
Why the order matters
Personality rights in India are not codified and have grown through court rulings, most of them concerning AI deepfakes, merchandise and advertising. This ruling applies the doctrine to a feature film said to be fictional, holding that where a living public figure’s identity runs through the story itself, labelling the work as fiction does not cure the infringement.
The remedy is also notable. Instead of cutting scenes or banning the film outright, the Court chose a mandatory disclaimer backed by a substantial bank guarantee, with an injunction on commercial use as the consequence of non-compliance. It balances the makers’ freedom of expression against the celebrity’s control over the commercial use of his persona and the authorised biopic’s contractual rights.
Case Title: Sourav Ganguly and Another v. Makers of the Film Doosra and Others [suit number awaited]
Bench: Justice Tejas Karia, Delhi High Court
Date of Order: November 6, 2026
Appearances: Advocates Gitika Aggarwal, Jaya Goyal, Arjun Aggarwal, Manpreet Kaur and Mehak, through Neo Juris Advocates and Solicitors, for Sourav Ganguly and Luv Films LLP
