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Queen Forever Legal Rights Dispute in HC

Kangana Ranaut‘s upcoming film Queen Forever has become the subject of a legal dispute over intellectual property rights. However, the Bombay High Court has declined to grant an interim injunction against the film’s production and release following a petition filed by Phantom Studios.

The court refused to restrain JioStar India Pvt Ltd from proceeding with the project on Wednesday. Phantom Studios had approached the court over its claimed ownership rights in Queen, the 2014 film starring Kangana Ranaut.

According to Phantom Studios, it shares equal ownership of the intellectual property rights in Queen with JioStar. The studio argued that the original co-production agreement granted both parties a 50% share in the film’s intellectual property.

The studio further claimed that the agreement covered derivative rights, including sequels, prequels, remakes and other projects based on the original film. It maintained that neither party could independently exploit those rights without the required consent.

Phantom Studios told the court that it had not approved any sequel or adaptation of Queen. The studio pointed to the original film’s critical reception and commercial success, arguing that its rights and associated goodwill required protection.

According to the petition, Phantom Studios had issued several legal caution notices to JioStar since April 2026. These notices reportedly asked the company to discontinue plans for any sequel or related project that could be associated with Queen.

The studio also alleged that JioStar continued developing the proposed project despite receiving the notices. It further claimed that the company had not disclosed sufficient details about the film, adding to the disagreement over the use of the original intellectual property.

However, the Bombay High Court declined to grant the immediate restrictions sought by Phantom Studios. The decision means that the requested interim restraint has not been imposed, allowing the project to proceed without that particular restriction at this stage.

Importantly, the refusal of interim relief does not settle the broader dispute over ownership and derivative rights. Those questions remain separate from the court’s decision on whether an immediate injunction was justified.

With Kangana Ranaut associated with Queen Forever, the dispute has drawn attention to the film’s development. The project’s future will depend on further legal proceedings and the decisions taken by the parties involved.