The Nepali film industry has been hit with controversy after a case was filed against the movie Actor: Take 1, set to release on Magh 16 (January 30). A case has been filed by producer Samrat Thapa of the recently released film ‘Actor’ on Magh 4 (January 18), accusing copyright issues, which has hyped a lot just days before the release of the new movie.
The lawsuit, essentially, is about “Actor: Take 1” also bearing the same marrow title without any license, which Thapa evidences clearly as a prima facie infringement of copyright. The producer complains on grounds that the name should be changed for Actor: Take 1 and also claimed his exclusive rights over the title of Actor. Thapa claims that the use of the same name will confuse the audiences and affect the prestige and box office of his movie.

Filed at the District Court, Kathmandu, the lawsuit has prayed for immediate legal intervention. Thapa has thus prayed for a stay order to stall the release of Actor: Take 1 till the dispute is resolved. “The film has been illicitly copied and should not be released on Magh 16 or under any method, process, or platform until further orders. A stay order should also be issued to stop the movie’s release,” the complaint reads.

Thapa also made the Film Development Board its defendant, giving weight to his case by questioning the role of the regulatory body in approving titles that could lead to disputes. It has triggered serious concern about the broader mechanisms of oversight in the Nepali film industry and has stirred debates related to intellectual property rights in the creative sphere.
Helmed by Rajan Bhusal, Actor: Take 1 boasts an ensemble cast featuring Pradeep Khadka, Anna Sharma, Divya Rayamajhi, and Raj Ballav Koirala. Highly-anticipated by the audience, the film has entangled in a completely unexpected and unwanted legal mess just four days prior to its scheduled release. The allegations have not been addressed yet by the producers of Actor: Take 1, thereby leaving the audiences and the Film fraternity speculating about the fate of the movie.

This unfolding drama now raises a pertinent question as to what legal protection filmmakers and the creative community in Nepal have. While cases of copyright infringement are nothing new to the global entertainment industry, such disputes in the Nepali context are relatively rare, hence making this case a landmark one that will set a precedent for all future intellectual property disputes.

This court battle turns the release of the movie into a fascinating twist for the audiences. Will the movie ‘Actor: Take 1’ hit the screens on January 30 as scheduled, or will the court grant a stay order, which will amount to its delay? In a case that keeps raging in the media, the intellectual property right and the questions of fair play assume greater significance.
With tensions high and the clock ticking, all eyes are now on the courtroom, where a decision could very well reshape the future of copyright protection in Nepal’s burgeoning film industry.