Rahul specializes in Media & Entertainment Law with a solid focus on Copyright Law including advising on complex transactions. Rahul has advised some of the leading production houses, studios, broadcasters, content aggregators, distributors, music labels, etc. He has been involved in structuring complex financing deals, production/ co-production deals and distribution deals for various high value projects and has been instrumental in providing advisory across various issues concerning the Media and Entertainment Industry.
Rahul has also worked as an in-house counsel in various organizations such as Balaji Motion Pictures, Zee Entertainment, Sony Pictures Network. While working as an inhouse counsel with the various Media giants, Rahul has been involved in various high value transactions and high-stake litigations and has also advised on various management and strategic decisions. Rahul is a business enabler lawyer and negotiator and is being known for that among his peers in the media and entertainment industry. Rahul has a strong legal background in the Media & Entertainment Industry with extensive experience in solving business challenges and networking within the industry.
Representative Clients :
Mythri Movies Makers, People Media Factory Private Limited, Phantom Studios (India) Private Limited, Vistaar Movies LLP, Maverick Media Private Limited, Shine Screen (India) LLP, Naad Sstudios Private Limited, Naad Films LLP, Vriddhi Cinemas LLP, Kay Content Factory LLP, MMM Mediaworks
Practice Focus
Forums & Jurisdictions
Representative Matters & Reported Cases
Transactions
Key Work Highlights
Personality Rights & Defamation
- Successfully secured an interim injunction order before the City Civil Court, Bengaluru, for Sri Konidala Pawan Kalyan, Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, concerning takedown of defamatory content.
- Successfully secured the personality rights of Sri Konidala Pawan Kalyan, actor and Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, in a matter before the Delhi High Court.
- Successfully secured the personality rights of Mr. Akira Nandan, son of Sri Pawan Kalyan, in a matter before the Delhi High Court.
Film Release Litigation
- Successfully secured John Doe and anti-defamation injunction orders in respect of the Telugu-language films “Ustaad Bhagat Singh” and “Jet Lee” before the City Civil Court at Bengaluru.
- Successfully defended an injunction application filed for a stay on the release of the Telugu-language film “Kishkindapuri”.
- Defended Mythri Movie Makers before the Madras High Court in separate suits filed by Dr. Ilaiyaraja concerning the Tamil-language films “Good Bad Ugly” and “Dude”.
- Achieved a consent order in respect of disputes concerning the release of the Telugu-language film “Raja Saab”.
Transactions & Structured Agreements
Closed various high-stake revenue agreements and other structured agreements for films including “Peddi”, “Raja Saab”, “Pushpa: The Rule”, “Jaat”, “Ustaad Bhagat Singh”, “Good Bad Ugly”, “Dude” and “Mirai: Super Yodha”, among others.
Content & Trademark Disputes
- Handled and was part of various litigations concerning the films “Gunjan Saxena”, “Good News”, “Parmanu”, “Haseena Parkar” and “Manikarnika”.
- Handled and was part of the trademark litigation concerning the passing-off action filed by Plex Inc. against Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited over the word ‘Plex’ in respect of the service “ZeePlex”.
Prior In-House Experience
- In-House Counsel, Balaji Motion Pictures
- In-House Counsel, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited
- In-House Counsel, Sony Pictures Networks India
Indicative Experience
- Successfully defended an injunction application filed for the stay on the release of the Telugu language film “Kishkindapuri”.
- Successful achievement of a Consent Order in respect of the disputes with respect to the release of the Telugu language film “Raja Saab”.
- Closing all the revenue agreements including the agreements with Netflix, Star TV, T Series, etc. and the cast and crew agreements including the agreement with Allu Arjun for the Telugu language film “Pushpa – The Rule”.
- Closing all the revenue agreements and the cast and crew agreements for the Tamil language film “Good Bad Ugly”.
- Closing all the revenue agreements and the cast and crew agreements for the Telugu language film “Mirai: Super Yodha”.
- Closing all the revenue agreements and the cast and crew agreements for the Hindi language film “Jaat”.
- Handled and being part of various litigations with respect to the films “Gunjan Saxena”, “Good News”, “Parmanu”, “Haseena Parkar”, “Manikarnika”.
- Handled and being part of the trademark litigation with respect to the passing off action filed by Plex Inc. against Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited for the word ‘Plex’ in respect of the service “ZeePlex”.
