Madras High Court Stays OTT Release Of Telugu Dubbed Version Of "Drishyam 3"

The Madras High Court, on Wednesday (June 17), restrained the makers of Malayalam movie “Drishyam 3” from releasing the Telugu-dubbed version of the movie on OTT platforms.

Justice K Kumaresh Babu passed the interim order on a plea moved by film production company Rajkumar Theatre Pvt Ltd. The company had approached the Madras High Court seeking to restrain the producers and director and their agents, employees, assignees, licensees, and everyone claiming through them from infringing the company's exclusive copyright to remake and exploit the movie in Telugu language, by releasing the dubbed version of the movie in Telugu, anywhere in the world.

It may be noted that a vacation bench of the High Court had admitted the plea and issued notice to the filmmakers. Following this, the matter was taken up for hearing. The plaintiffs informed the court that the movie was slated to release on the OTT platform on June 18 (Thursday). The plaintiff thus sought an interim injunction to prevent the defendants from releasing the dubbed version of the movie during the pendency of the case, thereby infringing their copyright.

The judge noted that none of the respondents had entered appearance even though a private notice was previously issued by the court. Noting that the movie was to release on OTT platforms tomorrow, the judge deemed it fit to issue an interim injunction.

“It is to be noted that, in spite of service of private notice on them, none of the respondents has entered appearance or is present before this Court. Their names have also printed in the cause list. In such view of the matter, there shall be an order of interim injunction, restraining the Respondents/Defendants, their servants, agents, employees, assignees, licensees and every one claiming under or through the Respondents/Defendants from exploiting the copyrights of the applicant by releasing the same in the OTT Platform,” the court said.

The Delhi High Court, in April, had restrained the Malayalam movie makers from creating any third-party OTT rights in the upcoming Mohanlal-starrer Malayalam film tentatively titled “Drishyam 3”, granting interim protection to Amazon Seller Services Pvt. Ltd. in an arbitration dispute.

Case Title: MS Rajkumar Theatre Pvt Ltd v Aashirvad Cinemas and Others

Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Mad) 264

Case No: C.S (COMM DIV) 144 of 2026