The upcoming movie “Khashaba”, directed by Nagraj Manjule, has become part of a copyright dispute soon after its teaser was released. Writer Sanjay Dudhane claims that several scenes in the teaser are based on his book without asking for his permission.
The movie is inspired by the life of Khashaba Jadhav, who made history by winning India’s first individual Olympic medal in wrestling at the 1952 Summer Olympics. His life story has inspired many people, and the film aims to show his journey from a small village to the Olympic stage.
According to Sanjay Dudhane, at least five scenes shown in the teaser closely match the events and storytelling found in his book, “Olympicveer Khashaba Jadhav.” He says these scenes were used without his approval and believes they are too similar to be just a coincidence.
Because of these claims, Dudhane filed a copyright case against Nagraj Manjule, producer Jyoti Deshpande, Jio Studios, and Atpat Productions. The case was first filed in October 2024. The court is currently hearing the matter and has postponed the next hearing until July 10.
The writer has also submitted 19 pieces of evidence in court to support his allegations. These include comparisons between the teaser and his book, documents from earlier legal proceedings, and agreements related to the film. He believes these records clearly show that parts of the movie were inspired by his published work.
Earlier, Nagraj Manjule had filed a ₹5 crore defamation lawsuit against Sanjay Dudhane. However, the writer now claims that some documents submitted in that case also referred to his book while discussing the film’s story. He says this supports his argument that his work was used during the making of the movie.
The teaser reportedly includes scenes showing important moments from Khashaba Jadhav’s life, including his interactions with political leaders, coaches, British officials, famous wrestlers, and his achievements in different sports. Dudhane says these moments were described in a similar way in his book.
The writer has requested the court to watch the complete movie and compare it with his book before allowing its release. He believes this is the best way to decide whether any copyright rules were broken.
At present, the legal dispute is still ongoing. The court has not made any final decision, and both sides will continue to present their arguments during the upcoming hearings.
