Chennai: Even as O’Romeo hits theatres, discussions around a possible leak have intensified online — but court records show that producers had already moved the Madras High Court, anticipating the threat of pre-release piracy.
O’Romeo, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, was released February 13, 2026. The film stars Shahid Kapoor, Triptii Dimri and Nana Patekar, among others.
Before the film’s theatrical release, Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy passed an interim order restraining internet service providers and cable television operators from unauthorised broadcast, transmission or online dissemination of the film.
The Court observed that in cases of pre-release piracy, the harm suffered by producers is immediate and irreversible. Once a film is unlawfully distributed online, the resulting financial and commercial losses cannot be remedied.
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The order was passed in a civil suit filed by Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, which expressed concerns about the potential unlawful circulation of the film prior to and immediately following its theatrical debut.
At the same time, the Court cautioned that broad “John Doe” or dynamic injunctions could adversely affect the legitimate business interests of intermediaries and service providers. To strike a balance, the Court made the injunction conditional upon the producer filing an indemnity undertaking to compensate respondents for any legitimate business losses caused by enforcement of the order.
Separately, a Mumbai court last week rejected an interim application filed by Sanober Shaikh, daughter of the late journalist and encounter informer Hussain Shaikh, also known as Hussain Ustara, who had sought to prevent the film’s release.
Legal experts note that anti-piracy injunctions have become increasingly common as producers seek preventive relief amid rising instances of online leaks. Such orders are grounded in the Copyright Act, 1957, along with relevant provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure and the Information Technology Act, which allow courts to restrain unauthorised reproduction, streaming or public communication of copyrighted works.
While there has been no official confirmation of a leak, the High Court’s intervention underscores the heightened vigilance surrounding major releases in the digital era.
