Drishyam 3 Telugu OTT Release Halted by Madras High Court

Superstar Mohanlal's much-awaited thriller "Drishyam 3" has encountered a sudden roadblock, with the Madras High Court issuing an interim injunction to stop the Telugu-dubbed version’s OTT release. This unexpected development comes just a day before the film was set to premiere digitally, sparking intense curiosity and speculation among Tollywood fans.

The celebrated Malayalam film, produced by Aashirvad Cinemas, has been at the centre of a legal tussle after Rajkumar Theatre Pvt. Ltd. filed a lawsuit. The company claims it holds exclusive remake and exploitation rights for the "Drishyam" franchise within the Telugu language market. They argued that releasing a direct Telugu dub would infringe upon their lawful interests, constituting a breach of copyright.

According to the court order issued by Justice K Kumaresh Babu, "temporary protection" was granted to safeguard the applicant’s commercial interests, especially since the release was scheduled for June 18. Interestingly, the court noted that despite private notices, representatives for the Malayalam producers did not attend the hearing. As a result, "the Malayalam makers and their digital distributors are barred from executing any Telugu digital release worldwide until the dispute is resolved," as the ruling stated.

With the Telugu OTT premiere now put on indefinite hold, all eyes are on the ongoing legal battle. Fans will have to wait for further updates to see when and how "Drishyam 3" might eventually reach Telugu audiences.