homeboundA Hindi film recently shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards has become the subject of a legal dispute. Journalist and author Pooja Changoiwala has launched legal action against Dharma Productions and Netflix Entertainment Services India, alleging that the film unlawfully copies her 2021 novel of the same name.
Oscar-shortlisted Homebound faces copyright lawsuit; Diet inside!
Changoiwala, whose book Homebound was published in 2021, says he took action only after his lawyer issued a formal notice to Dharma Productions, claiming that it was not adequately addressed by the production house. She points out that both the novel and the film are based on the same real-life event – the COVID-19 migrant exodus of 2020 – but she argues that the similarities extend far beyond the shared background.
“In the second half of the film, I discovered that the makers had not only misused the title of my book, but also blatantly replicated large portions of my novel – including scenes, dialogue, narrative structure, sequence of events and other creative expressions,” Changoiwala said in an email, quoted by The Free Press Journal.
According to Changoiwala, his legal team sent a scene-by-scene legal notice to Dharma Productions on October 15 outlining the alleged violations. They claim that the producers did not acknowledge the claimed infringement and continued to promote and distribute the film on Netflix.
Changoiwala has since filed an application with the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority under Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015. This step is a mandatory pre-litigation step before filing a commercial suit in the Bombay High Court. Her court application seeks remedies including a permanent injunction against distribution of the film, removal of allegedly infringing material, change of title and monetary damages for copyright infringement.
Changoiwala defended her decision to take legal action despite the stature of the respondents: “I know I am challenging powerful institutions by taking this step, but I believe it is important for authors to defend their works when they are misused and exploited without their consent.”
So far, neither Dharma Productions nor Netflix have issued a detailed public response to the allegations. the film homeboundDirected by Neeraj Ghaywan and starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, the film continues its awards campaign until the legal process begins.
