Mumbai: The third season of ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’ is set to air its final episode on Saturday with Akshay Kumar as the guest.
As per reports, the show has landed in legal trouble over comedian Kiku Sharda’s Baburao act, which is an indirect dig at Paresh Rawal’s character from the blockbuster franchise ‘Hera Pheri.’
The film’s producer Firoz A Nadiadwala has slapped a Rs 25-crore legal notice to Netflix and the makers of the comedy show for the Baburao act, alleging “copyright and trademark infringement.”
“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. 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,” Nadiadwala said in a statement.
The legal notice outlines alleged violations, including copyright infringement under Section 51 of the Copyright Act, 1957, and trademark infringement under Section 29 of the Trademarks Act.
The notice 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 the producer’s family.
Nadiadwala’s team has demanded that the show makers and OTT giant Netflix remove Kiku’s Baburao act segment from the platform, social media, and any third-party channels.
The notice seeks an apology within 24 hours and has also asked for a written undertaking from the show makers to ensure that the character will not be used in future without permission.
Reinforcing the seriousness of the matter, advocate Sana Raees Khan, representing Nadiadwala 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.”
