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Sony, Zee at loggerheads over Big B

Amitabh Bachchan’s movies have provided fodder for a fresh round of battle between Sony Entertain-ment Television and Zee Network.

The two rival channels are screening the Hindi superstar’s movies in a month-long festival. While Sony has branded it as ‘Superstar of the Millennium,’ Zee has termed it as the ‘Angry Young Man of the Millennium’ and is screening the movies on two of its channels, Zee TV and Zee Cinema.

Sony, in fact, acquired rights for 11 Bachchan movies from Prakash Mehra and put up a public notice to ensure that no broadcaster screened these movies. The Bombay High Court was also moved as Zee had announced that it would be screening Laawaris. The court passed an order, restraining Zee from telecasting the movie. But on October 3, Zee TV aired Laawaris. The contempt of court proceedings was moved.

Zee moved an application claiming that it still had rights for the movie. The seven-year contract with Mehra for the Bachchan movie was applicable from the period of delivery of the material and not from the date of signing, Zee contested. The court vacated the injunction on October 20. Zee’s contract period, however, is now over and Sony has the rights for the Bachchan movies owned by Mehra.

Sony has acquired exclusive rights to telecast 11 Bachchan movies by means of satellite transmission and through diverse wireless and wired transmission including DBS/DTH and pay TV throughout the world. Sony’s rights would be from October 1, 1999, upto September 30, 2004.

Why did Sony put out a public notice to inform the “public at large and more particularly those in the film trade and advertising industry?” Because Zee had the rights for these movies and Sony wanted to ensure there was no overlap. The notice said: “Any person(s), firm(s) or company dealing with the said films in any manner whatsoever or contemplating telecast of any of the said films or any part thereof shall be doing so in violation of our rights resulting in infr-ingement of copyright for which Sony shall beconstrained to take suitable legal action against such person(s), firm(s) or company.”

The movies Sony has acquired are Dalal, Ghungroo, Jaadugar, Jwalamukhi, Khoon Pasina, Laawaris, Mohabbat Ke Dushaman, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Sharabi, Zanjeer and Zindagi Ek Jua.

Zee TV’s lineup for the month of October is Amar Akbar Anthony, Laawaris, Saudagar, Majboor, Do Anjaane, Andha Kanoon and Hera Pheri. Zee Cinema is screening Shaan, Akeyla, Aakhri Raasta, Aaj Ka Arjun, Kasme Vaade, Suhaag, Pukar, Shakti, Parvarish and Main Azad Hoon.

Sony started the millennium package by screening all of Raj Kapoor’s movies under Showman of the Millennium. The Amitabh Bachchan festival, however, is shorter. Said Raveena Kohli, director, programming and production, Sony Entertainment Television, “unlike Kapoor’s movies, we don’t have the entire library of Bachchan’s movies. There is no single body or channel which owns all his movies. We are screening these movies in October and are targeting viewership from all age groups.’

FE Report