The ShowRunners Have Used The Famous Song Chikni Chameli from Agneepath Without Permission

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India’s oldest copyright licensing organisation, Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), has sued the makers of Bigg Boss 19 over the unauthorised use of copyrighted music. The lawsuit has demanded Rs 2 crore in damages and licence fees for the alleged infringement.

What are the Charges?

According to reports, the showrunners Endemol Shine India and Banijay have used songs Chikni Chameli from Agneepath and Dhat Tere Ki from Gori Tere Pyaar Mein in episode 11 of the show without official permission. Both songs are licensed to Sony Music India, with their public rights administered by PPL.

The notice, dated 19 September, was served by advocate Hiten Ajay Wasan and names the production house's directors, Thomas Gousset, Nicolas Chazarain, and Deepak Dhar, as responsible parties.

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A source from the legal team said, "Both songs are licensed to Sony Music Entertainment India, one of the 450-plus music labels whose public performance rights are exclusively administered by PPL. PPL argues that because Endemol Shine India did not obtain a licence under Section 30 of the Copyright Act 1957, the use amounts to a ‘wilful infringement’."

In the cease-and-desist notice, prohibiting the use of its sound recordings without approval, the advocates for PPL demanded Rs. 2 crore from the makers in damages and license fees.

More About Bigg Boss 19

Hosted by Salman Khan, Bigg Boss 19 premiered on Jio Hotstar from 24 August. This year, the fresh episodes are dropped on OTT first and premiere on Colors TV one and a half hours later. The Bollywood superstar's rumoured fees for this season are approximately between Rs 120-150 crores, with 8-10 crores every weekend episode for a total of 15 weeks. Multiple sources confirmed that the new season does not have a big budget compared to previous seasons.

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Bigg Boss 19 began with 16 contestants: Ashnoor Kaur, Zeishan Quadri, Tanya Mittal, Awez Darbar, Nagma Mirajkar, Nehal Chudasama, Abhishek Bajaj, Baseer Ali, Gaurav Khanna, Natalia Janoszek, Pranit More, Farhana Bhat, Neelam Giri, Mridul Tiwari, Kunickaa Sadanand, and Amaal Mallik.

So far, Natalia Janoszek and Nagma Mirajkar have been evicted from the house.

Famous for controversial drama and unexpected twists, Bigg Boss 19 follows the theme of 'Gharwalon Ki Sarkaar' this season. To address important house-related issues, as part of 'Weekend Ka Vaar,' Salman Khan makes an appearance every Saturday and Sunday.

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In Bigg Boss, contestants are locked inside the house for over three months. But beyond the screens, the staple of prime-time entertainment has become almost synonymous with controversy, whether it’s legal battles, heated arguments, or ethical debates. This latest lawsuit over unauthorised song use is yet another chapter in Bigg Boss’s eventful history.