Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh has received significant relief from the Supreme Court regarding the copyright infringement allegations tied to his film Kahaani 2. On Friday, the apex court dismissed the ongoing legal proceedings against him. Writer Umesh Mehta had accused Ghosh of plagiarizing his script, Sabak, claiming it was used without permission in Kahaani 2, constituting a violation of copyright laws.
A bench consisting of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe upheld Ghosh’s plea, which challenged a previous ruling from the Jharkhand High Court dated April 22, 2025, that had refused to quash the case against him. The bench noted, “The summoning order dated June 7, 2018, issued by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, along with the High Court’s order from April 22, 2025, are hereby quashed and set aside,” granting relief to Ghosh.
Sujoy Ghosh is celebrated for his gripping thriller Kahaani, which is set in Kolkata, and has also directed notable films like Jhankaar Beats and Badla, along with contributing to various short films and anthology projects.
In July 2025, the Supreme Court further eased Ghosh’s burden by allowing him to skip appearances in the Jharkhand court while seeking his response to the allegations. The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Hazaribagh had previously summoned Ghosh, prompting him to appeal to the Jharkhand High Court, which denied his request, stating it would not conduct a “mini-trial” at the quashing stage. Ghosh then escalated the matter to the Supreme Court.
The complainant, Umesh Prasad Mehta, claimed he had written the script for Sabak, which was notarized in Hazaribagh to secure copyright. He alleged that he had met Ghosh and provided a recommendation letter crucial for obtaining the film script’s copyright. Furthermore, Ghosh was accused of retaining a photocopy of Mehta’s script and knowingly infringing on his copyright by producing Kahaani 2. After viewing the film in a Hazaribagh film hub, Mehta asserted that Ghosh’s actions amounted to unauthorized use of his script, thus violating his copyright rights.
(With contributions from various agencies)