Mumbai: Bollywood producer Firoz A. Nadiadwala has escalated his battle against Netflix and The Great Indian Kapil Show, serving a ₹25 crore legal notice over the unauthorized use of Baburao Ganpatrao Apte, the legendary character from the Hera Pheri franchise.
The notice requires the streaming giant and the show’s producers to remove the act immediately from all platforms including social media, episodes, and third-party channels. In addition, they must provide a written undertaking not to use the character in the future without permission and issue a public apology within 24 hours.
In his official statement, Nadiadwala underlined the cultural and emotional significance of the role: “Baburao is not just a character; he is the very soul of Hera Pheri. This legacy was built with our sweat, vision, and creativity. Paresh Rawal brought this role alive with heart and soul. No one has the right to exploit it for commercial gain. Culture is meant to be preserved, not exploited.”
The notice also cites copyright infringement under Section 51 of the Copyright Act, 1957 and trademark violation under Section 29 of the Trademarks Act, noting that Baburao is a registered trademark of the Nadiadwala family. It further highlights breaches under Section 14 of the Copyright Act, which grants exclusive rights to communicate and adapt the work.
With the season finale of the Kapil Sharma show set to air, the legal tussle has added uncertainty over whether the Baburao sketch will be broadcast. The case, meanwhile, has sparked industry-wide debate on intellectual property rights and the boundaries of parody in Indian entertainment.
