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Filmmaker Indra Kumar and producer Ashok Thakeria have become embroiled in a legal dispute over the distribution and digital rights of their 2007 comedy film Dhamaal. An FIR has been registered against the two following allegations of an alleged Rs 1.50 crore fraud involving the film’s rights.

The complaint was filed by Mumbai-based distributor Vikas Baldevraj Sahni, who owns Grand Master. According to the complaint, Sahni entered into an agreement with Maruti International, a company associated with Thakeria, in October 2019. Under the deal, Grand Master paid Rs 1.50 crore for permanent worldwide distribution rights along with digital and copyright rights to Dhamaal.

Sahni reportedly claimed that he was assured at the time of the agreement that the rights had not previously been transferred or sold to another party. However, he later allegedly discovered that the film’s lifetime OTT and digital rights had already been granted to Shemaroo Entertainment in 2015.

The FIR was registered at Amboli Police Station in Mumbai on August 17 under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to cheating. The allegations remain subject to investigation, and no conviction has been established against either Kumar or Thakeria.

The complaint also reportedly refers to a supplementary agreement signed between Maruti International and Shemaroo Entertainment in October 2020. According to Sahni’s allegations, the agreement retained rights concerning only one satellite channel while the earlier digital arrangement with Shemaroo remained relevant.

Grand Master has also claimed that it applied for the cinematograph copyright of Dhamaal in March 2020 and subsequently received the certificate in April 2023. Sahni maintains that his company possesses the government-issued copyright certificate as well as the film’s original negative.

The distributor further alleged that the dispute over ownership and exploitation rights caused Grand Master to lose several potential deals with digital platforms, reportedly involving transactions worth crores of rupees. Before approaching the police, Sahni is said to have issued a legal notice in January 2023 in an attempt to address the dispute.

Maruti International has responded to the allegations, indicating that efforts are currently underway to settle the matter. The company said discussions with the concerned party are ongoing and expressed confidence that the dispute over the rights can be resolved mutually following further negotiations.

Released in 2007, Dhamaal was directed by Indra Kumar and featured Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Jaaved Jaaferi and Riteish Deshmukh in prominent roles. The comedy became successful with audiences and eventually developed into a popular film franchise.

The latest chapter, Dhamaal 4, features Ajay Devgn and was released in July 2026. The ongoing legal dispute surrounding the original film’s rights has now brought renewed attention to the ownership and distribution arrangements connected with the franchise’s first instalment.

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