Madras HC stays the release of ‘Main Hoon Rajinikanth’

Mumbai, Feb 7: The Madras High Court stayed the release of the film, titled, ‘Main Hoon Rajinikanth’. The decision was taken after the superstar filed a petition in court. Rajini in his application expressed objection on using his name in the film title. The movie also does a caricature of Rajinikanth’s style and dialogue delivery.

Following Rajinikanth’s application, Justice R Subbiah restrained the Varsha Productions from using the actor's name in any manner in the film. The judge said the company was not entitled to use the name without Rajinikanth's permission.

The south superstar also seeks Rs 25 lakh as damages compensation.

In his final hearing on Friday, the judge referring to a judgment of Bombay High Court observed, "If any person uses the name of a celebrity without his/her permission the celebrity is entitled for injunction, if said celebrity could be easily identified by the use of his name by others. In the instant case, on seeing the name of Rajinikanth in the title of the impugned movie, the persons who are coming across the title of the impugned movie, are identifying the name only with the petitioner herein, which is evident from the website pages hosted by different persons," he said.

"Therefore, in my opinion, even assuming for a moment that the impugned movie is not a biopic of petitioner, since the name found in the title of the impugned movie is identifiable only with the petitioner who happens to be a celebrity and with any other person, the production company is not entitled to use the said name without the permission of Rajinikanth, particularly when he had chosen to advertise the movie with a title 'Hot Kavita Radhesyam as sex Worker for Rajinikanth'”.

The judge noted that recently the production company released web articles and posters and various press releases and video releases about "Main Hoon Rajinikanth" in which it humorously exploited Rajini’s name and poked fun at his signature style, he portrayed in many movies.

Earlier, Rajinikanth issued a legal notice to the film company and later he approached the court by way of the civil suit.