Producer Firoz A Nadiadwala has issued a legal notice seeking Rs 25 crore from Netflix and the creators of ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’. The lawsuit alleges that the show used actor Paresh Rawal’s Baburao Ganpatrao Apte character from the ‘Hera Pheri’ franchise without permission.
The legal action comes just as the show is set to air its final episode, featuring Akshay Kumar as a guest. The controversy was sparked when comedian Kiku Sharda impersonated the role, which was made famous by Paresh Rawal. Nadiadwala, who holds the rights to the character, claims the portrayal was carried out without his consent.
Nadiwadwala stated that nobody had the right to use Baburao wrongly for commercial gain, as reported by News 18. “Baburao is not just a character, but the soul of Hera Pheri. This legacy was built with our sweat, vision, and creativity, and no one can hijack or misuse it without our permission,” he stated.
The producer further said, “Paresh Rawalji nurtured the role and put his heart and soul into it. No one has the right to misuse it for wrongful commercial gain. We will protect what we have created because culture is not for exploitation, it is for preservation.”
The legal notice outlines several alleged violations, including copyright infringement under Section 51 of the Copyright Act, 1957, and trademark infringement under Section 29 of the Trademarks Act. The complaint also cites infringement of exclusive rights under Section 14 of the Copyright Act, which covers communication of a work to the public and its inclusion in films. According to Nadiadwala’s team, Baburao is a registered trademark owned by his family.
In the legal notice, Nadiadwala’s team has demanded the removal of the segment from Netflix and all the third-party channels and social media platforms. The notice also seeks a written assurance that the character will not be used again in the future without authorisation, along with a demand for an apology within 24 hours.
The lawyer representing Nadiadwala, Sana Raees Khan, also underscored the seriousness of the matter. She said, “The unauthorised use of my client’s iconic character is not just infringement; it is blatant theft for commercial gain.”
“The law will not allow the dilution of rights that have been lawfully earned and zealously protected. These rights will be defended with the full force of legal action so that no one treats a creative legacy as a free commodity for exploitation,” Khan added.
‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’ streams on Netflix at 8 pm, Saturday.
– Ends