The makers of the popular Dhamaal film franchise have landed in legal trouble. Mumbai Police registered an FIR against director Indra Kumar and producer Ashok Thakeria on August 17, 2026. The case involves an alleged fraud of ₹1.50 crore connected to the distribution and digital rights of the 2007 comedy film Dhamaal.
A Mumbai-based film distribution company named Grand Master filed the complaint. The company’s owner, Vikas Baldevraj Sahni, claimed that his firm paid ₹1.50 crore to buy the worldwide distribution and digital rights of the film. However, he later discovered that those same rights had already been sold to another company years earlier.
The Amboli Police station in Mumbai registered the case under Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). These sections deal with cheating and criminal breach of trust. Police have now started investigating the matter.
What Happened According to the Complaint
Vikas Baldevraj Sahni, who is 53 years old and runs the Andheri-based distribution company Grand Master, filed the police complaint. According to the FIR, Maruti International — the production company linked to Ashok Thakeria and Indra Kumar — signed an agreement with Grand Master on October 15, 2019.
Under this deal, Grand Master paid ₹1.50 crore to get the permanent worldwide distribution rights, digital rights, and copyrights of the 2007 film Dhamaal. The complaint states that the producers assured Sahni that no other company had any rights to the film at that time.
But Sahni later found out that the lifetime OTT and digital rights of Dhamaal had already been given to Shemaroo Entertainment Limited back in 2015 — four years before his company signed the deal.
The Alleged Double-Dealing
The complaint goes deeper into what happened after the agreement. In January 2020, Ashok Thakeria personally visited Sahni’s office. He reportedly told the distributor that Maruti International already had an agreement with Shemaroo for the lifetime rights of the film.
Then in October 2020, Maruti International signed a new deal with Shemaroo. Under this supplementary agreement, the producer kept rights for only one satellite channel.
Meanwhile, Grand Master had applied for the cinematograph copyright of Dhamaal on March 20, 2020. On April 28, 2023, the Copyright Office issued a certificate (CF-5230/2023) to Grand Master. Sahni claims his company now holds the government-issued copyright along with the original negative of the film.
Financial Losses and Legal Action
The dispute over rights caused major problems for Grand Master. According to the complaint, several business deals with digital platforms fell through because of the rights confusion. This led to losses worth several crores of rupees, far beyond the original ₹1.50 crore amount.
Sahni sent a legal notice to the accused on January 2, 2023. After not getting a satisfactory response, he approached the police. The FIR was officially registered on August 17, 2026.
The complainant has submitted several documents to the police to support his claim over the film’s rights.
Maruti International Responds
Following the fraud allegations, Maruti International released an official statement. The company said that discussions are currently taking place to resolve the dispute.
“We are currently in discussions with the concerned party and the matter regarding the rights will be resolved mutually after further discussions.”
Neither Indra Kumar nor Ashok Thakeria has made any personal public statement about the case yet.
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About the Dhamaal Franchise
Dhamaal is one of Bollywood’s most loved comedy franchises. The first film released in 2007 and starred Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Jaaved Jaaferi, and Riteish Deshmukh. The movie became a hit because of its slapstick humour and treasure-hunt storyline.
The franchise continued with Double Dhamaal in 2011 and then Total Dhamaal in 2019. The third film brought in big names like Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, and Madhuri Dixit. Total Dhamaal became the franchise’s highest earner at that time.
The fourth instalment, Dhamaal 4, hit theatres on July 10, 2026. The film was made on an estimated budget of ₹200 crore and has earned ₹229.88 crore worldwide. It will start streaming on Netflix from September 2026.
Police Investigation Underway
The Amboli Police are currently examining the agreements, copyright documents, digital rights records, and other related documents. The allegations will be verified once the investigation is complete.
The case has been registered under Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These sections deal with cheating and acts done with common intention.
Police have begun their investigation into the matter. The allegations have not been proven in court yet.
Also Read: Ajay Devgn’s Dhamaal 4 Cleared by CBFC: Obscene Gestures and Words Modified Before July 10 Release
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