HC bars use of remixed 'Laawaris' song in film

KOLKATA/MUMBAI: The Calcutta high court has restrained the use of ‘Apni Toh Jaise Taise’, the hit Amitabh Bachchan song from ‘Laawaris’ in Sajid Nadiadwallah’s ‘Housefull’ that premiered on Friday.

The interim stay, effective till June 30, will come into effect from Monday, giving Nadiadwala an opportunity to move an appeal before a division bench. Even if the appeal does not result in any relief, the time granted by Justice Nadira Patherya may allow him to make the necessary changes in the copies of
the film circulated in theatres.

Nadiadwala’s counsel, however, said much more time may be required to make the changes.
The song — an all-time hit by Kalyanji-Anandji — has been remixed by Nadiadwala with the song ‘Dhanno’ in his film. Anandji and the heirs of Kalyanji had filed a suit before the high court, accusing Nadiadwala of copyright violation. Punit and Amit, the sons and legal heirs of the late Prakash Mehra — the producer-director of Laawaris — filed a separate suit before the court, saying that the song was written by Mehra and they had the rights to the lyrics.

‘Apni Toh...’, sung by Kishore Kumar, is still popular three decades after the film’s release. Justice Patherya heard both songs on Friday and found similarities between them before passing the restraining order.
By TNN