HC wants English version of 'Dasavatharam' script

Chennai, June 12 (UNI) Madras High Court today directed the parties concerned to furnish English version of the script of Tamil film 'Dasavatharam' starring popular actor Kamal Hassan.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Jutice A P Shah and Justice P Jyothimani directed Senthil Kumar, who claimed the story belonged to him and Oscar-Films Private Limited Director Oscar Ravichandran, to furnish the English version of the script by June 15, when the appeal filed by former challenging an order of a single judge dismissing his petition came up for hearing.

In his appeal, Mr Kumar submitted that he had filed an application seeking interim injunction to restrain Mr Kamal Hassan and Mr Oscar Ravichandran from continuing the shooting the film or releasing it for public viewing pending disposal of his suit.

On April ten this year, Justice V Ramasubramanian dismissed it.

The judge found the appellant conceived a story which Mr Kamal Hassan and Mr Ravichandran came to know.

However, the judge held against the appellant on the third issue of whether the film being produced was of the same story, he added.

Having found the duo had come to know of his story and were now making the film, the judge had erred in concluding the film was not similar to the appellant's story only by perusing an alleged 'storyline' produced by them after the arguments concluded.

No supporting affidavit, was filed along with the sealed cover containing the alleged story line said to have been deposited with the court after the arguments were over.

Since no person had come forward to authenticate the correctness or otherwise of the said storyline, the judge ought to have insisted upon the author to file an affidavit on whether Mr Ravichandran's film was based on it.

He submitted the judge erred in holding the appellant had neither proved nor come to the court with any proof to show his story had been copied by them.

Such approach even at the stage of hearing for interim orders was contrary to well-established rulings of this court and also the Supreme Court.

At the stage of hearing application for injunction, the appellant was expected to show only a prima facie case and not proof, he contended.

UNI