T-Series and RGV: The Inside Story 
By Bollywood Hungama News Network, March 28, 2008 - 18:55 IST
The story began in June 2006 when Ram Gopal Varma assigned 'Audio & Home Video' rights of his 14 forthcomings films including Sarkar Raaj to T-Series vide agreement dated 13th June 2006 and T-Series paid Rs.50 lakhs as a part payment.
A MoU / Assignment deed was executed between RGV and T-Series for Assignment of Audio & Home Video Rights of 14 cinematograph films and for promoting his films amongst general public to serve their common purpose. T-Series paid towards the promotion of the films, which released under the said MoU /Assignment namely, Nishabd, Shiva, Darwaza Bandh Rakho and RGV Ki Aag. Such payments made by T-Series were duly acknowledged by RGV and the monies were adjusted against the payments that were to be made by T-Series for the rights granted under the said MoU / Assignment Deed.
By May 2007, on request from RGV, T-Series had been liberally spending on the publicity of the films of RGV, on assurances about the quality of the films, but having seen the performance of past films T-Series requested for re-negotiation of the prices and terms of the MoU / Assignment Deed. T-Series and RGV mutually agreed for downward revision of the consideration amount for the upcoming projects and settled the past loss making projects on an already incurred basis. The same was accepted and confirmed by RGV and a letter was also issued by RGV dated 18-7-2007. Also, on a written request from RGV, T-Series relinquished the rights of the film Go from the said 14 film so assigned under the MoU / Assignment Deed. Pursuant to such release, T-Series issued a letter dated 20-7-2007 and a Public Notice dated 20th July 2007, in the industry magazine “Super Cinema” published in the circulation issue of 21st July 2007. In the said Notice, T-Series had disclosed the factum of the MoU / Assignment Deed and the stipulations thereunder and also the fact that the said relinquishment was pursuant to the request letter of the RGV dated 18-07-2007.
In the meanwhile, T-Series had spent about Rs. 1.40 crores on account of the publicity done for the film RGV Ki Aag. Out of which Rs. 50 lakhs were adjusted towards the consideration for RGV Ki Aag, Rs. 50 lakhs towards consideration for Sarkar Raaj and Rs. 40 Lacs were to be adjusted on account of future films to be produced by RGV under the said MoU/Assignment. This was confirmed by RGV vide his letter dated 7-09-2007.
To the shock & dismay of the T-Series, RGV allegedly terminated the MoU/Assignment Deed vide notice dated 14-11-2007. Since, the allegations made under the said notice were false and frivolous, the same was promptly replied and challenged by T-Series on 26-11-2007. Since T-Series had spent over Rs.1.4 crores on just one film of the RGV, on his seeking continued support of publicity/ promos, T-Series was left with no other option but to file a suit for declaration, specific performance of contract & permanent injunction before the civil judge, Noida for relief. Instead of defending his case in the court, RGV filed false and baseless complaint with Economic Offence Wing (EoW), Mumbai Police. The reason for doing so was to distract the public and frustrate the contract so that RGV could sell the rights so already assigned to the third party for more money and usurp the monies already spent by T-Series on account of publicity on behalf of RGV.
It was now clear that RGV never intended to perform his part of the MoU, and was only deceiving T-Series into spending their money for the promotions of his movies. RGV dishonestly got the T-Series to pay for his film promotions, in the garb of the Assignment Deed/ MoU, and now fraudulently trying to escape his liability and is now usurping the Assigned Copyrights of T-Series by illegally terminating the MoU. He has also denied his signatures on the documents of price revision and is leveling false charges against T-Series and its directors before different agencies, both within & out of the Industry.
In pursuant to complaint made by RGV in the EoW for alleged forgery of his signatures, T-Series sent all the original documents signed by RGV being alleged by him as forged for an evaluation by a reputed and recognized Handwriting, Fingerprints & Forensic Science experts and the report reveals that the signatures are indeed genuine.
T-Series, after observing the conduct of RGV and going through the contents of correspondence and the allegations by RGV against directors of T-Series understood the malafide design of RGV to dupe T-Series and to secure its interest and liberties T-Series filed a criminal complaint against RGV with Noida Police for commission of offences u/s 420, 421, 422, 120B, 385 and 409 of Indian Penal Code, 1860.
Bollywood Hungama has a copy of the report submitted by the Handwriting, Fingerprints & Forensic Science experts. To view to the report, click here.
Messages doing the rounds in media
QUOTE
FIR against Ram Gopal Varma given by Bhushan Kumar in Noida is stayed by Allahabad HC till 1st July. FIR will be quashed subsequently.
EOW in Mumbai has given deadline of 2 days to Bhushan Kumar to submit the alleged forged docs in original to them.
UNQUOTE
Statement from T-Series
Some misleading information is circulating through SMS in the media regarding FIR logged by T-Series against RGV
Hon’ble Allahabad High Court has only accepted his application for quashing of the said FIR and has fixed 1st July as next date of hearing and in the interim has directed police not to take any coercive steps. The said sms also states that the FIR shall be quashed subsequently which is purely imaginative as the matter is subjudice and shows the desperation at the RGV end.
The very fact that RGV has approached the courts to prevent his arrest or any coercive action by the Noida police is a testimony to his guilt.
Secondly EOW has not given any deadline of two days to T-Series as whatever documents EOW has sought so far from T-Series have already been submitted. T-series has been very co-operative in the investigation and as & when any further information / documents will be sought by EOW, the same shall also be provided to the satisfaction of the EOW.
With Bollywood getting corporatized, we would ideally expect lesser legal issues to erupt, but it seems like the change will happen only gradually.
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