Kangana Ranaut’s much-awaited film Queen 2 has found itself at the centre of a major legal dispute just days after the team wrapped up filming. Phantom Studios has filed a Rs 250 crore lawsuit in the Bombay High Court against JioStar, alleging that the sequel has been developed without its consent despite the studio holding rights to the original Queen.
The legal battle has cast uncertainty over the future of the sequel, which reunites Kangana Ranaut with director Vikas Bahl more than a decade after the release of the critically acclaimed 2013 film.
Phantom Studios Alleges Queen 2 Is an Unauthorised Sequel
According to a report, Phantom Studios has approached the Bombay High Court seeking Rs 250 crore in damages from JioStar, the studio backing Queen 2. The production house claims that the sequel has been produced without obtaining the necessary rights or permissions.
The studio further alleged that it had repeatedly reached out to JioStar in an attempt to resolve the matter through discussions. However, after receiving no response, Phantom Studios decided to initiate legal proceedings.
Why Has Phantom Studios Filed the Lawsuit?
Phantom Studios claims it owns 50% of the intellectual property rights to the original Queen, including the rights to produce sequels, adaptations, and derivative works.
According to the production house, it has never granted approval for a sequel to the 2013 film. The lawsuit argues that proceeding with Queen 2 without its consent violates those ownership rights.
Meanwhile, Queen 2, which began filming earlier this year, has already completed production and entered the post-production stage.
Kangana Ranaut and Vikas Bahl Recently Wrapped Up Queen 2
Earlier this year, Kangana Ranaut announced that she was reuniting with filmmaker Vikas Bahl for Queen 2 after several years of planning. The sequel officially completed filming last week, with the cast and crew celebrating the final day of the shoot by cutting a cake and sharing moments from the wrap-up.
However, within days of completing production, the project became embroiled in a legal controversy over ownership rights.
The History Behind the Queen Rights Dispute
Released in 2013, Queen was produced under the banner of Phantom Films, founded by Vikas Bahl, Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, and Madhu Mantena. The film received widespread critical acclaim and won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.
Following allegations against Vikas Bahl during the MeToo movement, differences emerged among the founders, eventually leading to the dissolution of Phantom Films in 2019.
In 2022, Madhu Mantena and Producer Sheetal Talwar revived the banner as Phantom Studios, which now claims ownership of a significant share of the Queen intellectual property.
What Happened to the South Indian Remakes of Queen?
Following the massive success of Queen, official remakes were announced in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada in 2018.
The Tamil version starred Kajal Aggarwal, while Tamannaah Bhatia led the Telugu remake, That Is Mahalakshmi. The Malayalam adaptation, Zam Zam, featured Manjima Mohan, and the Kannada remake starred Parul Yadav.
Despite generating considerable interest, all four remakes faced production delays, certification issues with the CBFC, and later ownership disputes, preventing their theatrical release.
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About the Original Queen
Written by Anvita Dutt and directed by Vikas Bahl, Queen follows the journey of Rani, played by Kangana Ranaut, whose fiancé, portrayed by Rajkummar Rao, calls off their wedding just before the ceremony.
Instead of cancelling her honeymoon, Rani embarks on a solo trip across Europe, where she discovers independence, confidence, and lifelong friendships. The film was widely praised for its empowering narrative and remains one of Kangana Ranaut’s most celebrated performances.
With Phantom Studios now pursuing legal action, the future release of Queen 2 may depend on the outcome of the ongoing court proceedings.
BY JESSICA SABHARWAL
