Filmmaker Suneel Darshan, who wrote, directed and produced his 2017 romantic drama Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha, has now filed a case against Google CEO Sundar Pichai. The complaint? Darshan claims that his film has landed on YouTube illegally. He claimed that he has not sold the film's rights to anyone and filed a case of alleged copyright infringement. Darshan added that due to millions of views on his film on YouTube, he has not been profiting from it as he did not sell the film's rights. He also claimed that Google has refused to take the movie off those channels and thus filed a complaint against the parent company at the MIDC Police Station in Mumbai's Andheri.
Speaking to IANS, he said, "My faith and belief in the advancement of technology are implicit, but the infringement of my rights is a cause of grave concern. My entire copyrighted movie, apart from its songs and sequences from it, have been uploaded and monetised, and I have helplessly watched such illegal acts."Darshan clarified that it was only after his repeated requests went unanswered that he had to seek legal help. "Their actions and replies indicate they are well-versed in deflecting queries from my end," he said.He also added, "I hold Sundar Pichai responsible since he represents Google. I have tracked over 1 billion views of my 'Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha' have been recorded. No action has been taken despite this concern being raised with the company." Suneel Darshan said he will now move forward as per the advice of his lawyers.