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Upcoming film Maula Jatt's cast and crew accused of copyright violations

Upcoming film Maula Jatt's cast and crew accused of copyright violations

Actors Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, Humaima Malick and Hamza Ali Abbasi asked to abandon project
Updated 26 Oct, 2017

Waar director Bilal Lashari's Maula Jatt is one film that has kept everyone on their toes; the latest twist being that the makers of the original 1979 Maula Jatt have accused Lashari and his team of copyrights violations.

Speaking to Images, director and producer Muhammad Sarwer Bhatti accused Lashari and veteran writer Nasir Adeeb of "misleading" him, saying the rights to recreate Maula Jatt were never sold.

In the notice, Bhatti warns the star cast, which includes Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Humaima Malik to "stay away from this project and announce [their] dissociation with illegal film [in the] making as soon as possible."

"You are blessed with a good reputation in the respective field and the team who is reproducing this film illegally is not concerned about your reputation but we believe you must take care of your own reputation if no one else is doing so," the letters further read.

Bhatti further claimed that when he heard the news about Lashari "remaking Maula Jatt", he approached the Waar director who reassured him that his next venture isn't a Maula Jatt recreation.

The veteran producer quoted Lashari's social media post where he had said his upcoming feature is neither Maula Jatt 2, nor a sequel of the cult classic, nor a remake of it either.

"So in good faith, I decided to let the matter go," Bhatti told Images.

However, the veteran filmmaker then came across an interview of the accused on a news channel in which Bilal says he is working on his second film, "titled Maula Jatt".

Bhatti then took up the matter with Kamran Lashari, Bilal Lashari's father and prominent civil servant, informing him of the alleged copyright violations and asking him to guide the budding filmmaker in the matter.

"They were supposed to meet me on the issue. But that meeting never happened," Bhatti said. "Instead, I see an article in The Express Tribune that said Maula Jatt rights have been sold to Bilal Lashari and  Ammara Hikmat."

"This is blatant violation of the copyright law," Bhatti claimed, adding the veteran writer of Maula Jatt Nasir Adeeb doesn't own the rights so he cannot sell them either.

"It is my legacy, my pride. I will do everything to punish him," Bhatti added, saying the producer has the complete ownership of copyrights.

Bhatti's son, Mohammed Muttaqi and CEO of Bahoo Films Corporation, said, "It is just a way of falsely satisfying themselves and the people who are working with them."

When asked about copyrights certificates proving his claim, Bhatti said he will share them as and when needed, especially once the legal proceedings advance.

On the other hand, sources close to the film told Images none of the actors or crew have received any legal notices. If and when they do, they will act accordingly.

Comments

Farrukh Hussain Oct 26, 2017 06:45pm
Good times r back stay blessed all the media involved in making Pakistan great.
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observer#1 Oct 26, 2017 06:56pm
Copyright, trademarks and intellectual properties must be respected. This is one of the key to success of developed nations.
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observer#1 Oct 26, 2017 07:01pm
Matter has simple solution. Giver some due monetary credit to the right holders.
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Isha Oct 26, 2017 10:53pm
The letter are pure meant to blackmail if either party has copyright show it .also they remember this after 3 years of the making being announced they are clearly looking to get money
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Jonathan Menezes Oct 27, 2017 02:03am
Copy right in Pakistan? that is a new one ! downloading films is a sacred past time in Pakistan there is no moral backbone in our society we allow corruption as the most sacred tenet in our being its has woven and is now a part of the fabric of our society!
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Dave Oct 27, 2017 08:31am
We need a remake of MAULA JATT AND MAULA JATT 2
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Saqib Ali Rana Oct 27, 2017 10:53am
As per the law, rights revert to the writer after 23 years, so Nasir Adeeb has the rights, who is a part of Bilal Lashiari's project.
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ChaCha insaaf Oct 27, 2017 12:06pm
He has no claim to copyright as after 25 years copyright reverts back to the writer who is on board in the new project. The new movie will go ahead unless he turns up with a gandassa and convinces the participants to stop and refrain.
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syedchaudhrygangadinkhan Oct 27, 2017 12:57pm
They should abandon the project. What has these Urdu speaking behn chauds got to do with Maula Jatt?
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Anwaisha Oct 27, 2017 06:46pm
@Saqib Ali Rana sir can you plz mention the law?
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ak4pk Oct 28, 2017 12:04am
It is high time such medival and grotesque movies were forgotten let alone remade. Society needs to be made aware of a more gentele and passive side of humanity. Violence is truly abhorant.
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N abidi Oct 28, 2017 08:20am
Probably based on jealousy, because it seems for questionable reasons, there are some peoples, that are not happy of the great love given to new pak movies and the new up coming super stars of future, by pak and over seas audiences!
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