Starring Diljit Dosanjh, two biopics on slain Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila stayed by Ludhiana courts

Chamkila and Amarjot were gunned down on March 8, 1988, during the days of militancy when they arrived for a performance with their band at village Mehsampur in Jalandhar. Two members of the band were also killed. Their assassination mystery has remained unsolved to date.

The order restraining the filmmakers and producers from releasing ‘Jodi Teri Meri‘ was pronounced by the court of civil judge Karandeep Kaur on Monday. The detailed order was made available on Tuesday.

The court ordered a stay on the film’s release after Patiala-based Ishdeep Randhawa moved court alleging that Ludhiana-based Gurmail Kaur, the first wife of Chamkila, had given the rights to make the biopic to his father Gurdev Singh Randhawa via a written agreement signed on October 12, 2012. In a civil suit filed in the Ludhiana court, Ishdeep further alleged that they had paid Rs 5 lakh to Gurmail Kaur for the biopic rights. However, his father passed away in November last year, submitted Ishdeep. He contended that being his father’s legal heir, the rights to make the film on Chamkila’s life are legally with him and his family.

Jodi Teri Meri, a Punjabi film said to be based on the life of the slain couple, is slated for release on May 5

“From the documents, a prima facie case is made-out in favor of plaintiff (Randhawa). Balance of convenience is also in his favor and if defendants are not restrained from releasing the film “Jodi Teri Meri”, then an irreparable loss will be caused to plaintiff, which cannot be compensated with any cost. Accordingly, defendants are hereby restrained from releasing the film on May 5 except in due course of law till next date of hearing (May 8). It is also made clear that if service of defendants is not effected by May 8, then stay order shall stand vacated automatically,” read the order pronounced Monday.

Earlier, on March 21, the court of civil judge Harsimranjit Singh had ordered stay on Imtiaz Ali’s film ‘Chamkila’. The next hearing in that case is scheduled for May 3 (Wednesday).

The civil suit against Ali’s film was also filed by Randhawa submitting that he and his mother Jaspreet Kaur are legal heirs to his father Gurdev Singh, who died on November 3 last year. Randhawa further contended that “when they started making arrangements to make the biopic and contacted Gurmail Kaur”, they came to know “that defendants (Ali and others) in connivance with each other are making a film on the life of Amar Singh Chamkila and Bibi Amarjot Kaur.”

A screenshot from trailer of Jodi Teri Meri

Judge Harsimranjit Singh while staying the movie’s release had said: “Perusal of agreement/writing dated December 12, 2012 divulges that Gurmail Kaur entered into an agreement…in which she had given full rights to Gurdev Singh to make biopic on Chamkila & Amarjot Kaur. Gurmail Kaur also received a sum of Rs 5 lakh in this regard. Thus, in light of aforesaid agreement…. defendants are restrained from broadcasting, releasing, uploading, streaming the biopic in any manner”.

Advocate Bhupinder Singh Sidhu, counsel for Randhawa in both cases, told The Indian Express that in both cases, the courts have granted stay on any further release of the films on Chamkila’s life. “In the case of the film ‘Chamkila’, apart from Gurmail Kaur, the other defendants are Reliance Entertainment (production house), Ali, Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra. Gurdev Randhawa was a known producer-director who owned a studio and made several Punjabi films and short films,” said the Advocate.