Eros International Media Ltd has approached the Bombay High Court against filmmaker Aanand L. Rai and his production house, Colour Yellow Media Entertainment LLP. The media giant has accused the filmmaker of illegally riding on the goodwill of its 2013 hit film Raanjhanaa while promoting his 2025 film Tere Ishk Mein. The latter, starring Dhanush and Kriti Sanon, was said to be set in the same universe as Raanjhanaa.
Eros takes Tere Ishk Mein to court
Reportedly, in a commercial IP suit and related interim application, Eros has alleged trademark infringement, copyright infringement, and passing off, claiming that Tere Ishk Mein was deliberately projected as a “spiritual sequel” to Raanjhanaa without permission from the production house that backed the original film. Eros has demanded Rs 84 crore in damages, citing losses caused by Rai’s move to promote his latest directorial using the name of his 2013 film.
Apart from Rai and his company, Eros has also named multiple parties in the suit, including Super Cassettes Industries (T-Series), writer Himanshu Sharma, and Netflix Entertainment Services India LLP.
In its complaint, Eros claimed that it is the producer and “exclusive owner of all intellectual property rights” in Raanjhanaa, including copyright, trademarks, characters, dialogues, and sequel and remake rights. “The Plaintiff is the producer and exclusive owner of all intellectual property rights in the highly successful Hindi-language film Raanjhanaa, including without limitation copyright, registered trademark rights in Raanjhanaa, character rights including ‘Kundan Shankar’ and ‘Murari’, and remake, prequel, and sequel rights,” the plea read.
Eros alleged that the defendants misused these rights to market Tere Ishk Mein, which was released on November 28, 2025.
“The Defendants have made unauthorized use of the Applicant’s rights/Applicant’s film, brand, and mark Raanjhanaa for the promotion of the impugned film titled Tere Ishk Mein,” the plea stated, noting that the teaser carried phrases such as “From the world of Raanjhanaa.”
Complainant find similarities in theme and characters
The complainant also raised objections to actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub playing similar characters in both films. “Murari, portrayed by Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub in both films, is a sharp-witted friend whose perspective adds conscience to the plot. The Respondents’ unauthorized reproduction and commercial exploitation of these characters constitute a clear violation of the Applicant’s exclusive rights,” the petition said.
Eros further claimed that the lead character played by Dhanush in Tere Ishk Mein—named Shankar—closely mirrors Raanjhanaa’s Kundan Shankar, along with similar emotional arcs, dialogues, and themes.
According to Eros, cease-and-desist notices were issued on July 25, 2025, followed by reminders in September. While references to Raanjhanaa were briefly removed from promotional material, the film allegedly continued to carry strong similarities upon release.
Eros said it found “extensive copyright and trademark infringement,” alleging that Tere Ishk Mein was repeatedly described and projected as a “spiritual sequel” to Raanjhanaa.
