Overcoming legal hurdles, Aamir Khan-starrer 'Ghajini' will hit the screens as scheduled on Thursday with the Madras High Court permitting the release of the Hindi film after ordering the producers to deposit a sum of Rs 5 crore.The film also got the go-ahead after Bombay High Court refused to stay the release of 'Ghajini', a Hindi version of a Tamil film, and directed producers of the movie to file their reply to a petition filed by another production house claiming ownership of the movie's copyright. The case in both the courts related to alleged copyright violations.The producers-M S Geetha Arts, a division of Allu Entertainment Pvt. Ltd- got a reprieve after a Division Bench of the Madras High Court comprising Justice V Dhanapalan and Justice M Satyanarayanan conditionally suspending an order issued on Tuesday by a single judge staying release of the movie. They were asked to deposit a sum of Rs 5 crore with the Court Registry.Geetha Arts deposited five bank drafts for Rs 3 crore with the court registry and gave an undertaking that the balance amount would be furnished within a week."The case is of copyright. We are asking for relief so that we could release the film. So to release the film, we have paid a deposit to the court," said producer Allu Arvind.The Bench gave the order on a petition filed by Geetha Arts challenging Justice P R Shivakumar order staying the movie's release on a civil suit filed by A Chandrasekharan, proprietor, Sri Saravanaa Creations.The interim injunction was granted by Justice Shivakumar on the petition filed by Chandrasekharan, claiming to be the copyright holder for remaking and dubbing of the Tamil film.Chandrasekharan claimed that he had only parted with the Chennai city rights, Telugu remake, the dubbing and satellite rights and retained all other rights of 'Ghajini'.KBC Pictures had approached the Bombay High Court seeking a stay to the release of the movie alleging that it possesses copyright to the story screenplay and dialogues of the movie.The petition says that copyright was purchased for as little as Rs 11 lakh, and seeks damages of Rs 20 lakh.‘Ghajini’ is a Hindi version of a 2005 Tamil film of the same name, directed by A R Murugadoss. The Hindi version is produced by Geetha Arts, and directed by Murugadoss himself.KBC's petition relies on a agreement signed between KBC Pictures and Murugadoss by which they were allegedly given the copyrights for remaking the movie.But Geetha Arts' lawyer Vineet Naik alleged Murugadoss' signature was forged on the agreement.KBC lawyers then demanded an affidavit from Murugadoss to this effect.Justice Karnik said that in that case the matter would be adjourned and no stay would be given.Finally the court adjourned the hearing till December 26, without passing any order.Advocate Nayak said that there was apparently no link between KBC and Chandrasekharan (petitioner in Madras case).
