Ayushmann Khurrana’s hit film ‘Dream Girl 2’ charmed audiences at the box office. But after its successful run, the movie found itself in a bit of a legal tangle. The film faced accusations of copyright infringement. This dispute even landed in court. Now, the Bombay High Court has finally dismissed the petition filed against ‘Dream Girl 2’.
On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court threw out the legal challenge against Ayushmann Khurrana’s Hindi movie. The writer who brought the case, Ashim Bagchi, was ordered to pay a significant amount. News reports, including those from PTI, shared details of the court’s decision.
The court directed Ashim Bagchi to pay a total of ₹10 lakh. This amount goes to producer Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms. It also covers four other key people involved with ‘Dream Girl 2’, including the film’s writer and director. This means each of these five entities will receive ₹2 lakh.
Same Story? Not a Copyright Case
Judge R. I. Chagla, overseeing the case, made a clear point. He stated that simply having a similar storyline does not create a valid copyright case. This was the main reason Ashim Bagchi’s petition was dismissed.
The judge even referenced a classic Hollywood movie to illustrate his point. He brought up the 1993 film ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’. This Hollywood hit also featured a character concept similar to the one seen in ‘Dream Girl 2’. This comparison further highlighted why Ashim Bagchi’s claim did not hold up in court.
Ashim Bagchi had claimed that ‘Dream Girl 2’, released in 2023, copied his story. He said he wrote his version way back in 2007. This isn’t the first time the High Court has weighed in on this issue. Back in 2023, the court had refused to stop the film’s release. At that time, the court noted Ashim Bagchi had waited until the very last minute to seek their intervention.
Now, his petition has been completely dismissed. The court stated that the petitioner was seeking copyright for something that simply isn’t a copyright issue. The court also pointed out that there were differences between Ashim Bagchi’s script and ‘Dream Girl 2’.