"Hari Puttar" Goes to Court

A Mumbai-based film company is getting sued over its name, and I can see why. It’s called Hari Puttar – A Comedy of Terrors. Say what?

Warner Bros. has filed a lawsuit against Mirchi Movies, claiming the title is a bit too similar to the Harry Potter franchise. Uh, yeah, I’d say so. But the film is actually a real movie, and not a take-off on the popular wizard franchise. The case is being heard in the Bombay High Court on Monday. Hari Puttar heads to theaters Sept. 12.

The “Hari Puttar” name began making the rounds in the states as a comic gag when the first “Harry Potter” film was released. “Hari” is a popular Indian name while “Puttar” means “son” in the Punjabi language.

More after the jump…

Munish Purij, CEO of Mirchi Movies, says they registered the title in 2005. “It’s unfortunate that Warner has chosen to file a case so close to our film’s release,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “In my opinion, I don’t think our title has any similarity or links with ‘Harry Potter.’” It’ll be interesting to see how it goes down.

Directed by Rajesh Bajaj and Lucky Kohli, “Hari Puttar” stars veteran actor Jackie Shroff, Saurabh Shukla and actress Sarika. It’s about a bright 10-year-old boy (Zain Khan) who moves from India to the U.K. with his parents. Feeling lonely and unappreciated, Hari makes friends with a cartoon character from his fantasy world, and ends up being a real-life hero.

What do you think? Does Warner Bros. have a case here?

Image: Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors, Dreamtown Productions, 2008