Madras High Court halted Drishyam 3 Telugu OTT release over copyright claims.
Filmmaker Sripriya alleges ownership of Telugu remake rights to the franchise.
Mohanlal's Drishyam 3 streams in Malayalam while Telugu release remains uncertain.
Drishyam 3's Telugu OTT release has been halted after the Madras High Court passed an interim injunction restraining the makers from releasing the Telugu-dubbed version of the film on streaming platforms. The legal setback comes just as anticipation was building around the Telugu release of the latest chapter in the hugely successful Malayalam thriller franchise led by Mohanlal.
According to reports, the Telugu-dubbed version was scheduled to premiere on OTT on June 18. However, filmmaker Sripriya's production company, Rajkumar Theatre Pvt Ltd, approached the Madras High Court claiming ownership of the Telugu remake rights.
What did the Madras High Court say in the Drishyam 3 case?
The interim order was passed by Justice K Kumaresh Babu after the respondents reportedly failed to appear before the court despite receiving notice.
In the order, it was observed by the court that no respondents had entered an appearance despite private notices being served. An interim injunction was subsequently granted, restraining the respondents and all parties acting on their behalf from exploiting the applicant's copyrights through the OTT release of the Telugu version.Unlike the previous films in the franchise, Drishyam 3 was not remade in Telugu. The first two instalments were adapted as Drushyam (2014) and Drushyam 2 (2021), both starring Venkatesh in the lead role.
Sripriya, who directed the original Telugu remake, and producer Rajkumar Sethupathi have argued that they hold the rights for any Telugu adaptation of the franchise. Their petition challenges the makers' decision to release a dubbed version directly on OTT instead of pursuing a formal remake.
Why has the Drishyam 3 Telugu OTT release been stopped?
Unlike the previous films in the franchise, Drishyam 3 was not remade in Telugu. The first two instalments were adapted as Drushyam (2014) and Drushyam 2 (2021), both starring Venkatesh in the lead role.
Sripriya, who directed the original Telugu remake, and producer Rajkumar Sethupathi have argued that they hold the rights for any Telugu adaptation of the franchise. Their petition challenges the makers' decision to release a dubbed version directly on OTT instead of pursuing a formal remake.
Directed by Jeethu Joseph, Drishyam 3 sees Mohanlal return as Georgekutty alongside Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil and Kalabhavan Shajon. The film was released in theatres on May 21 and is currently streaming in Malayalam on Prime Video.
The legal battle has now cast uncertainty over the Telugu release, with no clarity yet on when audiences will be able to watch the dubbed version.
