Yash Raj Films embroiled in another 'title' controversy

Comments [ 0 ] By IANS | 09 May 2008 | 4:40pm

Mumbai, May 9 (IANS) Yash Raj Films has once again got embroiled in a controversy over the title of its forthcoming movie 'Thoda Pyaar, Thoda Magic,' which has Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji in lead roles.

The film is co-produced and directed by Kunal Kohli.

Actor-producer Saahil Chadha has challenged the title of 'Thoda Pyaar, Thoda Magic,' saying it is similar to the title of 'Thoda Life, Thoda Magic,' which is his first film as a producer and he had registered it with the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) two years ago.

'When I took up the matter with Kunal Kohli last month, he promised me that he would change the title to 'Thoda Magic Ho Jai'. But he went back on his word as the trailer of the movie now being shown with YRF's 'Tashan' bears the title 'Thoda Pyaar, Thoda Magic', which sounds similar to the title of my movie,' Saahil told IANS Friday morning.

Kohli, on the other hand, disputed Saahil's argument.

'As the title registration committee of the Film and Television Producers' Guild of India, with whom the title of our movie has been registered, has cleared it, personally, I have nothing to comment on the matter,' Kunal said, but refused to elaborate further.

Saahil has now lodged a complaint with IMPPA, saying that as his movie, 'Thoda Life, Thoda Magic,' would be released almost simultaneously with 'Thoda Pyaar, Thoda Life,' due on June 27, it would affect his venture the most.

'It is absolutely unethical on the part of Guild that it should flout the industry's established procedures of title registration in order to accommodate the whims of its resourceful members,' Saahil remarked.

The matter has now taken the form of a duel between IMPPA and the Guild.

'Neither YRF nor Kunal can browbeat our member on the basis of their clout. We will ensure that they change the title of their film,' said Anil Nagrath, secretary IMPPA.

Saahil's 'Thoda Life, Thoda Magic,' made under a joint banner of Rissa Entertainment Pvt. Ltd and Fizz Entertainment, has Jackie Shroff, Arbaz Khan, Meera Vasudevan, Parmeet Sethi and Saahil himself in the cast.

Last year, YRF ran into a problem with the title of its movie, 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag'. At the time of the movie's release, a small-time producer, Shripati Mishra, had alleged that YRF had usurped the title he had registered in his name with the Western India Film Producers' Association.

But the matter fizzled out as Mishra's movie had not mounted the sets at the time YRF's 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag' was released.

Copyright IANS

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