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Overview

Vinay Pictures, through its proprietress Ms. Shanti Vinay kumar Sinha—legal heir of late producer Mr. Vinay Sinha—filed a suit before the Delhi High Court seeking to stop the unauthorized use of intellectual property related to the well-known Hindi film Andaz Apna Apna (1994). The case was filed against multiple parties who were allegedly using the film’s title, characters (such as Amar, Prem, Teja, and Crime Master Gogo), famous dialogues (like “Aila” and “Ouima”), and designs in various forms, including on merchandise and digital content.

The Plaintiff claimed that several defendants were selling unlicensed merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, posters, etc.) featuring elements from the film. Some were creating and circulating AI-generated content and videos that used the film’s characters and dialogues.

These infringing activities were taking place both through independent websites and major e-commerce platforms such as Flipkart, Meesho, Etsy, and Desertcart.

The Court observed that Andaz Apna Apna enjoys wide recognition and that its characters and elements are closely associated with the Plaintiff. The Court was satisfied that the Plaintiff had made out a prima facie case of infringement, and that allowing such unauthorized use could cause serious harm to the Plaintiff’s rights.

As a result, the Hon’ble Court passed an ex-parte ad-interim injunction, directing the following:

The Defendants are restrained from using the film’s content in any form, including merchandise or digital reproductions.

Online platforms like Flipkart, Meesho, Etsy, and Desertcart must remove all infringing listings and disclose the seller details.

Google has been directed to take down specific infringing videos from YouTube.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) must block access to certain infringing websites and URLs.

The Court also permitted the Plaintiff to seek similar reliefs against other infringers, if required, at a later stage.

This order is a significant step in protecting the legacy and intellectual property of Indian cinema. It affirms that film titles, characters, and related elements—especially those that have acquired public recognition—are legally protected and cannot be used without authorization. The case also highlights the growing importance of tackling IP infringement in the digital and e-commerce space, including misuse through AI-generated content.

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Prepared by : Drashti S. Varmora (Advocate)