MUMBAI: Hollywood studio Twentieth Century Fox has sent a legal notice to BR Films for allegedly remaking the English film My Cousin Vinny.
BR Films is producing a film called Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai starring Govinda, Lara Dutta and Sushmita Sen, which is on the lines of My Cousin Vinny.
When contacted by Businessofcinema.com, BR Films managing director Ravi Chopra confirmed the development saying, "I am extremely shocked and astonished that such a reputed company is behaving like this. We received a mail from 20th Century Fox in October 2007 giving us permission to Indianise the movie My Cousin Vinny. So I really don’t understand why this issue is cropping up right now and in such a manner."
When queried as to what happens next, Chopra said, "Beyond this I really cannot say anything on what action we will be taking as the matter is sub judice."
At the time of filing this story, 20th Century Fox’s Indian arm – Fox Star Studios’ representatives were unavailable for comment.
Lately Hollywood studios are keeping an eagle eye on Indian films. In 2007, Overbrook Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment pulled up the Salman Khan – Govinda starrer Partner, which has been made on the lined of the Will Smith starrer Hitch. Additionally, earlier this year, Warner Bros also put out a general trade notice when reports cropped up that Vipul Shah’s Action Replay starring Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was on the lines of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
