Warner Bros demand stay on Paresh Rawal's Guest iin London

The Kumar Mangat production of Paresh Rawal-starrer, Guest iin London, has run into some trouble. The Indian arm of Hollywood's Warner Bros Studios has pulled up the producers on account of franchise rights. According to reports, the studio have filed an injunction and demanded a stay order on the release of the film.

A report by the tabloid, Mumbai Mirror, claimed that the studio has asked for the stay on the grounds that the film is being promoted as a sequel to the 2010 Warner Bros produced comedy, Atithi Tum Kab Jaaoge? The first hearing of the case took place on Monday, with Kumar Mangat's lawyers and the studio's legal team.

Directed by Ashwni Dhir, Guest iin London is being produced under the banner Panorama Pictures by Abhishek Pathak and Kumar Mangat. The film stars Rawal, Tanvi Azmi, Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Kharbanda in the lead roles. Warner Bros Pictures owns the rights to the release and sequel of Atithi Tum Kab Jaaoge (2010). Officials revealed that even as the studio was in talks with Kumar Mangat over the sequel rights, the producers went ahead and announced the film.

Meanwhile, Abhishek Pathak has accused the studio of filing a 'false' injunction against himself and the film.

The 2010 film, also directed by Ashwni Dhir, had run into similar troubles with copyright when cartoonist Abid Surti had sued the producers for lifting the story from his Gujarati novel, Bauter Varas No Babo, published in 1976. Surti has again filed a case this year with the Screenwriters' Association demanding monetary compensation over the film. The case is still pending in court.

Guest iin London was scheduled for theatrical release on 16 June.