Dushyant Kapoor, popular youtuber and filmmaker alleges harassment by Mumbai based production house

Dushyant Kapoor is hardly 25 years old and he runs a successful production house DK FILMS LLP, based in Noida. He sings well, his videos are slick and has a popular base on YouTube. He is a classic example of young, energetic and enterprising youth of India. He was obsessed with the art of film/video making since his early teens and started uploading his videos on YouTube around 2009. Now Dushyant is known for the superhero content on YouTube and has more than half a million subscribers.

But days after the release of the trailer of his latest horror show 'Chalava- Pehla Chakravyuh on May 27, he was in for a rude shock. He was being congratulated for the trailer becoming viral after a few hours of its release, when he received a legal notice from AV Production Llp through Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) that he has violated copyright because he is using the same title as AV Production Llp.

Dushyant quickly consulted his lawyers. Who in turn looked if the same title had already been registered. They were surprised to find that the title existed but with a separate spelling and the title of Dushyant's show was different.

In this regard they had not even violated IMPPA rules as well. But unfortunately, by that time, the Mumbai based company AV Production Llp had raised objections with YouTube, which in turn blocked the trailer of Dushyant's upcoming show.

Since that time, Dushyant has been running from post to pillar to clarify his stand; to say that he is not at fault, he is being trapped. But it is of no use.

"It is saddening and shocking that I am on the right side of the law. I have a trademark on my title and my script was registered way back in 2020. Nevertheless, it is I who is being forced to 'negotiate'", Dushyant said, highlighting that it has become a common practice to harass new and successful filmmakers/producers in such a way.

It is not that Dushyant did not try to talk to the parties involved. He mailed to AV Productions Llp. He talked to IMPPA and explained how his title is different and registered much before the AV Productions. But the association's response was evasive.

The young filmmaker is willing to fight and he has all the reasons to. "If I don't fight now, then others will also be harassed in the same manner. This is wrong and should stop now. I have all the documents at place. I won't let anyone pressurise me," he said.

National Herald too approached AV Productions for a response. They simply waved it off saying that IMPPA has to take a decision on this.

Meanwhile, Dushyant is interacting with YouTube too. He is hopeful and we hope too that he and other young and upcoming filmmakers are not harassed in this manner.