Aamir Khan’s Batwara 1947 Faces Rs 1 Crore Legal Notice Over ‘Pretty Woman’

Aamir Khan’s Batwara 1947 has landed in a copyright dispute after Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) sent a legal notice to Aamir Khan Productions, Junaid Khan and Nikhat Khan Hegde over the alleged unauthorised use of “Pretty Woman” from Kal Ho Naa Ho at a promotional event. PPL has demanded Rs 1 crore in damages, along with applicable licence fees.

What Happened At The Event?

The song “Pretty Woman”, from the 2003 film Kal Ho Naa Ho, was allegedly played during a Batwara 1947 promotional event held at Hindu College, Delhi, on August 12. The event was attended by Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta.

PPL Sends Legal Notice

According to PPL, the song was played without the required authorisation. The organisation claims to hold public-performance rights assigned by more than 500 music companies, including Sony Music Entertainment, which owns the track.

PPL has given the concerned parties seven days to comply with its demands, failing which it says it may initiate civil proceedings for damages and injunctions, as well as a criminal complaint under the Copyright Act.

Aamir Khan Productions Denies The Allegations

Aamir Khan Productions has rejected the claims.

The production house says it did not organise or conduct the event, which was organised by Hindu College, and that its representatives attended only as guests. It also stated that it had no control over which sound recordings were played at the event.

Preity Zinta’s Visit Was Personal, Source Says

A source close to Aamir Khan Productions reportedly said the event was connected to Preity Zinta’s personal visit to the college and that neither AKP nor Preity was responsible for the song being played.

Batwara 1947 Already Facing A Tough Run

The legal notice comes as Batwara 1947 has struggled at the box office despite positive reactions from several members of the film fraternity. The Partition drama stars Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta and is directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, with Aamir Khan backing the project.

KnowBuddys Take

Pretty Woman was supposed to bring some fun to a college event. Instead, it has brought a Rs 1 crore legal notice to Batwara 1947. And with Aamir Khan Productions denying responsibility for the song being played, this copyright drama is far from over.