Karnataka High Court Stays Release of Kannada Film Boss Till June 30

The Karnataka High Court has given temporary relief to actor Darshan Thoogudeepa and his wife Vijayalakshmi in their legal battle against the Kannada film Boss. On Thursday, the court heard their appeal challenging the trial court’s decision to vacate an interim injunction that had blocked the film’s release. During the hearing, Siri Productions, the producer of Boss, gave an oral undertaking that the movie will not be released until June 30. The High Court accepted the statement and scheduled the next hearing for the same date.

The controversy began when Darshan claimed that Boss bears striking similarities to the ongoing Renukaswamy murder case in which he is an accused. Earlier in March, a Bengaluru trial court had granted an ad-interim injunction halting the film’s release. However, on May 2, the trial court dismissed the stay plea and lifted the ban, prompting Darshan and his wife to approach the High Court for relief.

Darshan’s legal team argued before the High Court that the trial court overlooked key audiovisual evidence showing at least 13 similarities between Boss and the real-life events linked to the Renukaswamy case. The petition also pointed out that the film’s teaser and its “inspired by true events” tag could mislead viewers into connecting the story with Darshan’s personal life. According to the counsel, this risks damaging his reputation and could impact his right to a fair trial.

The Renukaswamy murder case involves Darshan, Pavithra Gowda, and others as accused. Renukaswamy, a fan of Darshan, was allegedly attacked and killed after making offensive remarks against Gowda. Meanwhile, Darshan was last seen in The Devil, a political action thriller directed by Prakash Veer and produced under Sri Jaimatha Combines, Vaishno Studios, and Saregama. With the High Court now pausing Boss’s release till June 30, all eyes are on the next hearing for further developments.

- Veda