Dharma Productions, headed by Karan Johar, has approached the Bombay High Court seeking relief in a wrongful termination dispute. The matter is linked to the Punjabi film Viyaah Kartaare Da.
The plea has been filed against Humble Motion Pictures FZCO, a Dubai based production company. Dharma has sought urgent interim protection as both parties move towards arbitration.
According to Dharma, the company was engaged to provide marketing and related services for the film. The production house claims the agreement was abruptly terminated without valid grounds.
The Dubai based company has not filed an immediate response. It has sought time to submit its reply, while the court has fixed the next hearing for February 18, 2026.
Dharma referred to an agreement signed in December last year. As per the plea, the agreement was meant to help recover losses amounting to Rs. 7.25 crores from the jointly produced film.
Dharma stated that it later received an email from Humble Motion Pictures FZCO cancelling the agreement. The email reportedly said that the company was no longer willing to avail Dharma’s services.
The termination, according to Dharma, came soon after promotions for the film began on social media. The production house alleged that Humble benefited by using Dharma’s name while ending the agreement unilaterally.
Dharma also told the court that the contract did not include any termination clause. It has requested the court to restrain Humble from acting on the termination notice.
In addition, Dharma is seeking monetary protection linked to the film’s earnings. The company has asked the court to direct Humble to submit detailed financial accounts and deposit Rs. 7.03 crores.
Online reactions to the dispute have been mixed. Some netizens supported Dharma for enforcing contractual terms, while others questioned the intent behind the legal move.
Both Dharma Productions and Humble Motion Pictures FZCO have so far refrained from making official statements. Further clarity is expected after the upcoming hearing.
