Kangana Ranaut's 'Queen 2' makers sued for Rs 250cr

Days after Indian actor Kangana Ranaut announced that she had wrapped shooting for the 'sequel' to her 2014 box office hit Queen, Phantom Studios has moved the Bombay High Court alleging that it is being made without its consent.

JioStar India Private Limited, the respondent, claimed on Tuesday that the upcoming film was an independent production and not a sequel.

The suit against JioStar India Private Limited, filed through legal firm Rashmikant and Partners, sought an injunction against the release of the film and also damages of Rs 250 crore. It would come up before a single bench of the high court in due course.

Phantom Studios claimed in the suit that when the Queen was made, there was an agreement between the plaintiff and respondent (JioStar) that in future if any sequel or prequel was to be made, then both the parties would have 50 per cent rights on the same.

It had not consented to any sequels, adaptations or derivative works of the film, Phantom Studios added.

JioStar claimed in a statement that the new film has an original, independent story.

It has no narrative, character or creative connection to any prior work, and is neither a sequel nor a prequel to any existing title, it said.

"The word Queen is a part of the English language. No party can claim exclusive ownership over a common noun and any such claim has no basis in law," JioStar said in its statement.

As per the suit, Phantom and JioStar equally own 50 per cent of all intellectual property rights of the film Queen.

"The plaintiff seeks to restrain the defendants from proceeding with the impugned film and to enforce the plaintiff's rights as 50 per cent co-owner of the derivative rights in the film," the suit said.

It added that since May last year, Phantom Studios has been corresponding with JioStar asserting its rights, but has received no response.

The 2014 film Queen, written by Anvita Dutt, won National Awards for the best feature film and for best actress.