Phantom Studios sues JioStar over Kangana Ranaut's Queen 2, seeks ₹250 crore in damages

A legal dispute has emerged over Kangana Ranaut's upcoming film Queen 2, with Phantom Studios filing a case in the Bombay High Court against JioStar India Pvt Ltd, alleging that the project is being made without its approval and infringes on its rights linked to the 2014 hit Queen.

Phantom Studios files a case against JioStar over Queen 2

The production house has sought an injunction to prevent the film's release and has also claimed ₹250 crore in damages. The matter is expected to be heard by a single-judge bench of the Bombay High Court in due course.

According to the suit, Phantom Studios claims that when Queen was produced, an agreement between the parties gave both Phantom and JioStar equal rights over any future sequels or prequels. The studio has argued that it never granted consent for any sequel, adaptation or derivative work based on the original film.

The legal action comes days after Kangana Ranaut announced that filming on Queen 2 had been completed. The sequel reunites the actor with director Vikas Bahl, who also directed the critically acclaimed 2014 film.

Responding to the lawsuit, JioStar rejected Phantom Studios' claims and maintained that the upcoming film is not connected to the original Queen. In a statement, the company said, "StarStudio18 is presently working with Ms Kangana Ranaut on a fresh production that is an original, independent story. It has no narrative, character or creative connection to any prior work, and is neither a sequel nor a prequel to any existing title."

JioStar also disputed Phantom Studios' objection to the film's title, arguing that the word "Queen" cannot be exclusively owned. The company stated, "The word 'Queen' is a part of the English language. No party can claim exclusive ownership over a common noun, and any such claim has no basis in law. JioStar is aware of the litigation and will defend its position through the appropriate legal process. We have full confidence in the merits of our case."

Released in 2014, Queen was written by Anvita Dutt and starred Kangana Ranaut in one of her most acclaimed performances. The film won National Film Awards for Best Feature Film and Best Actress, and went on to become one of the defining Hindi films of the decade.

The High Court is yet to hear the matter, and no interim order has been passed on the release of Queen 2 at this stage.