Kannada director Rakshit Shetty’s studio fined Rs 25 lakh for unauthorised song use in film ‘Bachelor Party’

BENGALURU/NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has directed Paramvah Studios and its founder, Kannada actor-director Rakshit Shetty, to pay an additional Rs 5 lakh as penal costs for the unauthorised use of two songs in the film Bachelor Party.

This is in addition to the Rs 20 lakh cost imposed on Aug 12, 2024, which has already been deposited by the studio.

In an order dated March 28, 2026, Justice Tejas Karia noted that the use of the original works was not minimal. The song Omme Ninnanu was used for 31 seconds, while Nyaya Ellide featured for 7 seconds.

Citing provisions of the Copyright Act, the court observed that even a single frame from a copyrighted audio-visual work cannot be used without the owner's permission.

MRT Music, which claims ownership of the songs, including their sound recordings and underlying literary and musical works under a 2020 assignment deed, had approached the court over the alleged infringement.

The plaintiff alleged that two songs were used without a licence—one on television in a scene, the other sung in a classroom. The film was released in January 2024 and later on OTT platforms.

Paramvah Studios and Rakshit Shetty argued the usage was minimal and did not require permission.

Justice Tejas Karia rejected this, noting that Nyaya Ellide ("Where Is Justice") was deliberately used to highlight the protagonist's plight. "The use of the original works was a conscious creative choice to further the plot," he observed.