Madras High Court Blocks Pre-Release Piracy of ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, Grants Injunction with Indemnity Safeguard

Madras High Court Blocks Pre-Release Piracy of ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, Grants Injunction with Indemnity Safeguard

Introduction

The Madras High Court granted an ad-interim injunction to protect the copyright and streaming rights of Reliance Industries Limited (Jio Studios) in the film “Dhurandhar: The Revenge”, restraining unlawful broadcast ahead of its theatrical release. The Court emphasized the need for urgent preventive measures in piracy cases involving unreleased films.

Factual Background

Reliance Industries Limited, through its media arm Jio Studios, is the producer and rights holder of the cinematographic film “Dhurandhar: The Revenge”, starring Ranveer Singh and directed by Aditya Dhar. The film was scheduled for global theatrical release on March 19, 2026. The plaintiff apprehended that the film could be illegally broadcast or distributed through internet service providers and cable operators, which would severely impact its commercial value and intellectual property rights.

Procedural Background

The plaintiff instituted a commercial suit before the Madras High Court seeking urgent anti-piracy relief against multiple intermediaries, including ISPs and cable operators. Relying on its ownership evidenced by the CBFC certificate, the plaintiff sought an ex-parte ad-interim injunction to restrain unauthorized dissemination of the film prior to release. The matter was heard by Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy on March 18, 2026.

Issues

1. Whether the plaintiff was entitled to an ad-interim injunction to prevent unauthorized broadcast of the film prior to release.

2. Whether such relief could be granted against intermediaries including ISPs and cable operators.

Contentions of Parties

The plaintiff contended that it is the lawful owner of the film and that any unauthorized broadcast would cause irreparable financial loss and undermine its exclusive rights. It argued that pre-release piracy poses a serious threat to the film industry and requires immediate judicial intervention. The defendants, being intermediaries and not present at the stage of ex-parte hearing, did not advance any counter-contentions.

Reasoning and Analysis

The Court observed that in cases involving imminent release of cinematographic works, the likelihood of irreparable injury is high if preventive measures are not taken. It held that unlawful broadcast or dissemination prior to or during release could significantly harm the commercial exploitation of the film. At the same time, the Court acknowledged that wide-ranging injunctions against intermediaries may affect legitimate business operations. To balance these competing considerations, the Court imposed an indemnity condition on the plaintiff to safeguard the interests of affected parties. The Court reiterated that such pre-emptive relief is necessary to effectively protect intellectual property rights in the digital age.

Decision

The Madras High Court granted an ad-interim injunction restraining internet service providers and cable operators from unlawfully broadcasting or distributing the film “Dhurandhar: The Revenge”. The injunction was made subject to the plaintiff furnishing indemnity and will remain in force until April 15, 2026.

In this case the plaintiff was represented by Advocate T.Pandian for P.K. Law Firm.