Kapil Sharma Faces Legal Trouble as New Season of ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’ Begins

Popular comedian Kapil Sharma has landed in legal trouble just as the new season of his hit Netflix show ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’ has gone on air. The controversy revolves around alleged copyright infringement, with claims that several Bollywood songs were used in the show without proper authorization.

According to reports, Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) India has filed a case against the makers of the show in the Bombay High Court. PPL has accused the production houses—K9 Films Private Limited and BeingU Studios Private Limited—of unlawfully using three copyrighted songs in the show’s third season, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

Songs Used Without License

PPL India claims that the songs were played during various episodes without obtaining the mandatory license from the rights holders, which is required under the Copyright Act, 1957 for public performance or communication to the public. The songs in question are:

“M Bole Toh” from Munna Bhai MBBS (2003)
“Rama Re” from Kaante (2002)
“Subah Hone Na De” from Desi Boyz (2011)

The organization maintains that no permission was sought or granted before broadcasting these tracks, constituting a clear violation of copyright laws.

Episodes Under Scrutiny

The disputed episodes were streamed between June 21 and September 20. In one episode, actors Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor appeared to promote their film Param Sundari, during which “M Bole Toh” was played. Another episode featured the song “Rama Re,” while the episode starring Akshay Kumar included his film’s popular track “Subah Hone Na De.”

Show’s Popularity Amid Controversy

Despite the legal setback, The Great Indian Kapil Show continues to enjoy massive popularity among viewers. The latest season opened with a star-studded episode featuring Priyanka Chopra, who appeared as a guest. She is set to star in SS Rajamouli’s upcoming big-budget film ‘Varanasi’, alongside Mahesh Babu, reportedly being made on a budget of ₹1,300 crore.

As the legal proceedings unfold, it remains to be seen how the controversy will impact the future episodes of the show. For now, the case has cast a shadow over the successful return of Kapil Sharma’s much-loved comedy series.