The legal battle surrounding Maula Jatt movie has taken a dramatic turn today with the emergence of some surprising documents regarding the ownership of the 1979 cult classic.
Maula Jatt producer Sarwar Bhatti — who has filed a copyright infringement claim against The Legend of Maula Jatt — isn’t actually the sole owner of his film.
In a press conference held today at the Lahore Press Club, it was revealed that the film was owned by Bahu Films Corporation which was registered under a partnership agreement between 6 parties out of which Chaudhry Jamil and Sarwar Bhatti were the main investors.
The documents presented in the press conference also included an Income Tax Assesment Order in which Chaudhry Muhammad Jamil was duly recognized as the partner in the Corporation.
This claim has now been challenged by one partner Chaudhry Jamil’s legal heirs who have clarified that not only was he an investor in Bahu Films but also had his name title in all the films produced under this banner. An original partnership document from 1978 was also presented during the press conference. The ownership doesn’t belong to any single individual, as fraudulently portrayed by Sarwar Bhatti.
“Sarwar Bhatti has been misrepresenting the facts and concealed documents from the court by stating that he owned the original Maula Jatt in a sole proprietorship. When in fact, the movie like many others produced during that time, was the property of Bahu Films Corporation which was a partnership concern. Mr. Sarwar Bhatti has been making many claims regarding the rightful owner when he himself has not accounted for the rights of the partners in Bahu Films Corporation,” Advocate Almas Jovindah, who is representing Chaudhry Jamil’s legal heirs, said.
He further said that the copyrights are not an individual person’s property and belong to a corporation.
Sarwar Bhatti is yet to comment on the recent developments.
