Madras HC Blocks Telugu OTT Release of Drishyam 3, Citing Copyright Claim by Rajkumar Theatres

Justice K. Kumaresh Babu granted an ex parte interim injunction on 17 June 2026, halting the Telugu dubbed OTT release of Drishyam 3 after none of the respondents appeared despite private notice.

The High Court of Judicature at Madras stepped in on 17 June 2026 to block the Telugu dubbed version of the Malayalam film Drishyam 3 from streaming on any OTT platform. Justice K. Kumaresh Babu, sitting singly in the Commercial Division, passed the order on an original application filed by M/s. Rajkumar Theatres Pvt Ltd, which claims exclusive copyright over the Telugu remake and exploitation rights of the film. The court acted on the same day the order copy was directed to be issued, with the OTT release publicly announced for 18 June 2026 — just one day away. None of the four respondents appeared before the court despite having been served with private notice.

The Dispute Before the Court

M/s. Rajkumar Theatres Pvt Ltd, represented by its director Mr. Rajkumar Sethupathy and based in Chennai, filed Original Application No. 488 of 2026 in C.S.(Comm.Div).No.144 of 2026 before the Madras High Court. The applicant sought an interim injunction against four respondents:

• Aashirvad Cinemas, Ernakulam, represented by its proprietor M J Antony;
• Mr. Jeethu Joseph, the film's director, based in Ernakulam;
• Panorama Studio, Andheri West, Mumbai; and
• Pen Studios, Andheri West, Mumbai.

The applicant's case was that it holds exclusive copyright over remaking and exploiting Drishyam 3 in the Telugu language. The film, starring Mohanlal and Meena and directed by Jeethu Joseph, had already been theatrically released. The applicant contended that releasing a Telugu dubbed version of the film on an OTT platform would infringe its exclusive rights.

The relief sought was an injunction restraining the respondents, along with their servants, agents, employees, assignees, and licensees, from releasing the dubbed Telugu version of Drishyam 3 on any OTT platform anywhere in the world, pending disposal of the main suit.

The Copyright Question

The central legal issue was whether the applicant's claimed exclusive copyright over the Telugu remake and exploitation rights of Drishyam 3 entitled it to restrain the respondents from releasing a Telugu dubbed version of the original Malayalam film on an OTT platform.

The distinction the applicant drew was between a remake in Telugu — which it claims the right to produce — and a dubbed version of the Malayalam original being released directly in Telugu. The applicant's position, as reflected in the prayer, was that releasing the dubbed version would infringe its exclusive right to exploit the film in the Telugu language.

The application was heard by Justice K. Kumaresh Babu, with Senior Advocate Mr. K. Ravi appearing for the applicant, instructed by M/s. Rugan and Arya.

Ex Parte Order After Non-Appearance

The court recorded that private notice had been served on the respondents. Despite this, none of the four respondents entered appearance or was present before the court. The names of the respondents had also been printed in the cause list, making their absence deliberate or at least unexplained.

The court further noted that the respondents had already carried out a theatrical release of the film. It was publicly known that the OTT release of the Telugu dubbed version was scheduled for 18 June 2026 — the very next day after the hearing.

Given the imminent OTT release and the complete absence of the respondents, Justice K. Kumaresh Babu passed an interim injunction on an ex parte basis. The order restrained the respondents, their servants, agents, employees, assignees, licensees, and all those claiming through them, from exploiting the applicant's copyrights by releasing the film on any OTT platform.

Scope of the Injunction

The injunction as passed is directed specifically at the OTT release. The theatrical release had already taken place before the court intervened, and the order does not address or disturb that. The restraint operates against releasing the Telugu dubbed version of Drishyam 3 on any OTT platform anywhere in the world, pending disposal of the main commercial suit.

The breadth of the restraint — covering servants, agents, employees, assignees, and licensees — is standard in intellectual property injunctions and is intended to prevent circumvention through intermediaries or sub-licensees.

The main suit, C.S.(Comm.Div).No.144 of 2026, remains pending before the Commercial Division of the Madras High Court. The interim injunction will operate until that suit is disposed of, unless varied or vacated on an application by the respondents.

Order

Justice K. Kumaresh Babu, sitting singly in the Commercial Division of the High Court of Judicature at Madras, granted an interim injunction on 17 June 2026 in OA No. 488 of 2026. The respondents — Aashirvad Cinemas, director Jeethu Joseph, Panorama Studio, and Pen Studios — are restrained from releasing the Telugu dubbed version of Drishyam 3 on any OTT platform anywhere in the world, pending disposal of C.S.(Comm.Div).No.144 of 2026. The order copy was directed to be issued on the same day, 17 June 2026.