Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has secured a significant interim relief in his legal battle against the makers of the film Doosra. The Delhi High Court has observed that the film prima facie infringed Ganguly's personality and publicity rights through the unauthorised commercial use of his identity and career-related moments.
In its November 6, 2026 order, Justice Tejas Karia directed the film's producers, Ramesh Deo Productions Private Limited, to furnish an unconditional bank guarantee of ₹2 crore. The court also instructed the makers to display prominent disclaimers in both Hindi and English at the beginning and end of the film.
However, the court did not order an immediate ban on the film's theatrical screening, which had already begun.
Why Did Sourav Ganguly Take Legal Action Against Doosra?
The legal dispute began after Ganguly and production house Luv Films LLP approached the Delhi High Court, alleging that Doosra used his name, identity, personality and iconic cricketing moments without his permission.
The petitioners objected to references connected with Ganguly's career, particularly India's historic victory in the 2002 NatWest Series final against England at Lord's. The former captain's famous shirtless celebration on the Lord's balcony was also among the elements highlighted in the dispute.
Ganguly and Luv Films argued that the film and its promotional campaign commercially exploited his public image and reputation. They also expressed concern that audiences could assume he had officially endorsed or associated himself with the project.
The court examined the film, its teaser, trailer and promotional material before reaching its interim conclusion.
Court Directs Makers to Furnish ₹2 Crore Bank Guarantee
The High Court directed the producers to submit an unconditional bank guarantee of ₹2 crore to the Registrar General within two weeks.
The court also ordered the makers to include disclaimers in Hindi and English, clearly stating that Ganguly had not consented to the commercial use or depiction of his personality in the film.
The disclaimers must clarify that the use of his name does not indicate his acknowledgement, approval or authorisation of the project.
The court observed that Ganguly's identity was not being used merely to depict historical cricketing events. According to its prima facie assessment, his recognisable personality and career achievements had also been used to generate commercial interest in the film's fictional narrative.
Why Did the Court Allow Doosra to Continue in Theatres?
Despite finding a prima facie violation of personality rights, the court refused to stop the film's theatrical exhibition at this stage.
One of the reasons was that removing the disputed scenes would require significant changes to the film's narrative and artistic structure. The court observed that simply deleting the identified portions was not a workable solution.
It also considered that the film had already been released in cinemas and that stopping its exhibition was not justified at this stage.
However, the court made it clear that the makers must comply with its directions. Failure to furnish the bank guarantee or display the required disclaimers could lead to restrictions on the film's exhibition, distribution, streaming and commercial exploitation across platforms.
The interim order does not represent the final decision on the entire lawsuit.
Dispute Also Linked to Sourav Ganguly's Official Biopic
Another important aspect of the case concerns Ganguly's authorised biographical film, titled Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story.
According to the petition, Ganguly entered into an agreement with Luv Films on August 5, 2021, granting the production house exclusive contractual rights to develop, produce and commercially exploit audiovisual content based on his life, career and personal experiences.
Luv Films argued that it had invested substantially in the authorised biopic and that the unauthorised use of Ganguly's identity in Doosra could affect the commercial value of its project.
The authorised biopic is being directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg.
What Is Doosra About?
Doosra: India's Other Freedom Struggle is a sports drama directed by Abhinay Deo. The film stars Plabita Borthakur, Ankur Vikal and Samidha Guru.
The story follows a fictional character named Tara, whose journey is influenced by significant moments in Indian cricket history. The filmmakers have maintained that the project is a fictional narrative rather than a biographical film about Ganguly.
The Delhi High Court's interim order has now brought the debate over artistic freedom, celebrity personality rights and commercial use of public figures' identities into sharper focus.
For the moment, Doosra can continue its theatrical run, subject to the court's directions. The larger legal dispute between Ganguly, Luv Films and the filmmakers remains pending.
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