Ajay Devgn's film Bholaa, which debuted in 2023, is a Hindi adaptation of the acclaimed Tamil movie Kaithi (2019), featuring Karthi. Following the film's release, the producers of the original Tamil version, Dream Warrior Pictures, have taken legal action in the Bombay High Court, alleging infringement of copyright and remake rights. Justice Sharmila Deshmukh has reserved her decision regarding the preliminary objection raised by the Bholaa team concerning the court's jurisdiction over the case. Dream Warrior Pictures asserts that they hold exclusive rights to the copyright and remake of Kaithi.

As reported by Bar And Bench, the case involves several agreements related to the remake rights, starting with a collaboration with a Reliance Group entity in February 2020. On March 29, 2023, the production house behind Kaithi entered into a Remake Rights Assignment Agreement with Reliance Entertainment Studios for the Hindi version, Bholaa. They claim to have received only a partial payment of Rs 1 crore plus GST in April 2022, despite being entitled to further payments based on the film's performance.

After Bholaa's release on March 30, 2023, a tripartite agreement was executed on April 1, 2023, involving Dream Warrior, Reliance, and Ajay Devgn Ffilms LLP, granting them joint remake rights while leaving exploitation rights with Reliance. However, the Kaithi producers allege that subsequent payments due under the initial agreement were never made, prompting them to send multiple reminders in 2023 and 2024, all of which went unanswered. Consequently, Dream Warrior issued a notice on October 28, 2024, demanding Rs 4 crore plus interest.

In their notice, Dream Warrior warned that failure to settle the payment within 30 days would lead to the automatic termination of the agreement, reverting all rights back to them. They claimed that as of November 27, 2024, the initial agreement was terminated, and all rights related to Bholaa reverted to them. Additionally, they filed a plea with the NCLT Mumbai to initiate insolvency proceedings against Reliance Entertainment for unpaid debts, which was dismissed in August 2025, with the court stating that the disputes should be resolved in a civil court.

The ongoing commercial IP lawsuit was filed on March 22, 2026, with the Tamil filmmakers seeking injunctions to prevent Reliance and Ajay Devgn Ffilms from distributing or monetizing Bholaa. The suit also targets OTT platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Zee Cinema, and T-Series. During the proceedings, the defense argued that two agreements govern their relationship, asserting that jurisdiction lies solely with the courts in Chennai, not Mumbai. The Bombay High Court has reserved its ruling on the jurisdictional issues.

Bholaa has received a mixed to positive reception from audiences and critics alike, featuring performances from Tabu, Deepak Dobriyal, and others in significant roles. Stay tuned for further updates!