Phantom Studios has filed a Rs. 250 crore lawsuit against JioStar in the Bombay High Court, alleging that Kangana Ranaut’s Queen 2 is an unauthorised sequel and infringes on the intellectual property (IP) rights of the original film. The production house claimed that it never gave its consent for the new film.
JioStar has now responded to the lawsuit, denying the allegations and maintaining that Queen 2 is an original project with no connection to the 2014 film. In a statement published by Mid-Day, JioStar said, “StarStudio18 is presently working with Ms Kangana Ranaut on a fresh production that is 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.”
The report further read, “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 is aware of the litigation and will defend its position through the appropriate legal process. We have full confidence in the merits of our case.”