'Kantara' plagiarism case: Kerala HC stays FIR against Prithviraj Sukumaran

In a major relief to Malayalam actor-producer Prithviraj Sukumaran, the Kerala High Court on Thursday stayed an FIR registered against him. The court was hearing the matter on Thursday in regard to the alleged copyright infringement of the song Varaha Roopam in the movie Kantara. Sukumaran bought the distribution rights of the film in Kerala. It was originally made in Kannada.

• An FIR was registered against Sukumaran at the Kozhikode Town Police Station under Section 63 of the Copyright Act. The complaint said that the song Varaha Roopam from Kantara was plagiarised from the song Navarasa.
• Following the complaint, Sukumaran filed a petition with the Kerala HC, requesting the court to quash the FIR registered against him by Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Co. Ltd.

The case was being heard by the single bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas. While staying the FIR, the judge observed: "As a mere distributor of the film in Kerala, the actor was unnecessarily being dragged into and initiating copyright infringement proceedings against him was stretching it too far." He further said that Sukumaran cannot be "mulcted with infringement of copyright."

Actor-director Rishab Shetty along with producer Vijay Kiragandur appeared before the Kozhikode Police in Kerala on February 12. The two recorded their statements in the copyright infringement row in front of the investigating officers. A senior police official told PTI that they had appeared before the police as per the court's direction, and might be called again if they are required.

Allegations against the makers of Kantara were made saying that their movie's song Varaha Roopam was plagiarised from another song. According to the complaint, the song is an unauthorized copy of Thaikkudam Bridge band's original composition Navarasa. The song was also reportedly shown on the Malayalam music channel Kappa TV which is owned by Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Co. Ltd.