Director-producer Sripriya's Rajkumar Theatres claims exclusive Telugu remake rights; court issues interim injunction, stalling the film's Telugu-dubbed OTT premiere pending further hearings.
The Telugu OTT release of Drishyam 3 has been put on hold after the Madras High Court issued an interim injunction following a petition filed by filmmaker Sripriya's production company, Rajkumar Theatre Pvt Ltd.
The Telugu-dubbed version of the Malayalam thriller was scheduled to premiere on OTT platforms on June 18. However, Justice K Kumaresh Babu restrained the release after the petitioners claimed that the dubbed version infringed upon rights they hold related to the Telugu adaptation of the franchise.
In its order, the court noted that the respondents had failed to appear despite being served notice. As a result, it granted an interim injunction preventing the release of the Telugu-dubbed version on OTT platforms until further proceedings.
The dispute revolves around the Telugu rights of the popular Drishyam franchise. The first two Malayalam films were officially remade in Telugu as Drushyam (2014) and Drushyam 2 (2021), both starring Venkatesh. Unlike its predecessors, Drishyam 3 was not remade in Telugu. Instead, the makers chose to dub the original Malayalam film into Telugu for its digital release.
Sripriya, who directed the first Telugu remake, along with producer Rajkumar Sethupathi, argued before the court that their company possesses rights connected to the Telugu version of the franchise. Based on these claims, they sought a stay on the release of the dubbed version.
Drishyam 3 is the latest installment in the acclaimed Malayalam crime-thriller series directed by Jeethu Joseph. The film sees Mohanlal reprise his role as Georgekutty, alongside Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, and Kalabhavan Shajon.
Released in theatres on May 21, the film continues the story of Georgekutty, a man who goes to extraordinary lengths to protect his family from the consequences of a crime. The franchise has enjoyed widespread success across multiple languages, with remakes in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil.
While the Malayalam version is currently available for streaming, the Telugu-dubbed release will remain on hold until the court decides on the ownership and exploitation rights at the centre of the dispute. The case is expected to determine whether the makers can proceed with the dubbed version or if additional permissions are required from the rights holders of the Telugu adaptations.
Sources: Hindustan Times