Sethupathys take Drishyam 3 Telugu rights row to Madras High Court

Rajkumar Theatres Pvt. Ltd., the Sripriya Sethupathy and Rajkumar Sethupathy banner that handled the Telugu lives of the first two Drishyam films, has taken the Telugu rights of Drishyam 3 to the Madras High Court. The suit, heard on Wednesday, asks for a permanent injunction restraining the makers from remaking, producing or exploiting the upcoming Mohanlal film in Telugu anywhere in the world.

The defendants named are M.J. Antony of Aashirvad Cinemas, director Jeethu Joseph, Panorama Studios and Pen Studios, along with their agents, licensees and assignees. Senior Counsel K. Ravi appeared for Rajkumar Theatres. The court has issued notices to all the respondents, returnable within three weeks.

Rajkumar Theatres has also put the wider market on notice. According to the plaintiff, any producer, distributor, exhibitor, OTT platform or financier who enters into a Telugu remake or Telugu exploitation arrangement for Drishyam 3 while the suit is pending will be doing so at their own risk, subject to the final outcome of the case.

Drishyam 3, directed by Jeethu Joseph and starring Mohanlal and Meena, has been one of the most-watched Malayalam projects in the pipeline since the second film closed its loop in 2021. The Telugu rights for both earlier films sat with Rajkumar Theatres, which is the continuity the Sethupathys are leaning on at the High Court.