The highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed film Queen has officially landed in deep legal trouble. Phantom Studios, which asserts its ownership of 50 percent of the original film’s intellectual property (IP) rights, has approached the Bombay High Court to halt the progress of the project, citing unauthorized production.
Phantom Studios has filed a lawsuit seeking damages amounting to Rs 250 crore, alleging a severe infringement of intellectual property rights. The studio claims that the development of Queen 2 proceeded without their consent, despite their clear stake in the franchise.
According to industry insiders, the move comes after Phantom Studios discovered that filming for the sequel had already been completed. “There was even a public notice put out and multiple communications sent to Vikas Bahl and JioStar as well, informing them before this step was taken,” a source close to the development revealed.
The core of the dispute lies in the rights to create “adaptation or derivative works” based on the original 2013 hit. Phantom Studios maintains that they never agreed to any such adaptation. The production house had previously asserted its position in April, issuing a public notice clarifying that it holds a 50 percent share in the IP of Queen, which explicitly includes the rights to produce any sequels.
The legal action targets the makers for moving forward with the project despite these standing ownership claims. The production of the sequel, which sees Kangana Ranaut reprising her iconic lead role under the direction of Vikas Bahl, has reportedly moved into the post-production phase.
Queen (2013) is a celebrated Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama directed by Vikas Bahl. The film stars Kangana Ranaut as Rani Mehra, a naive and sheltered young woman from Delhi who finds herself devastated when her fiancé, Vijay Dhingra (played by Rajkummar Rao), calls off their wedding just one day before the ceremony.
Determined to move forward, Rani decides to embark on her pre-booked honeymoon to Paris and Amsterdam by herself. Widely praised for its heartwarming storytelling and Ranaut’s stellar performance, the film is considered a landmark in women-centric Indian cinema.
The ongoing legal battle has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the future of the film. While the makers have been actively working on the sequel, they have yet to announce an official release date—a task that now appears increasingly complicated by the court intervention.
As the matter proceeds through the judicial system, the industry and fans alike are watching closely to see how this conflict between the original stakeholders and the current production team unfolds. For now, Queen 2 remains at a standstill in the eyes of the law, as the Bombay High Court prepares to address the serious allegations of infringement.
