According to records, India’s JioStar, Reliance and Walt Disney’s TV and online entertainment business, has filed a lawsuit against rival Zee Entertainment for alleged unauthorized broadcast of Bollywood films to which it owns rights.
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s JioStar is the dominant participant in India’s dynamic $30 billion media and entertainment industry, while Zee, one of the country’s oldest media organizations, is a minor competitor.
They are already involved in a $1 billion dispute in London over a failed cricket license agreement in 2024.
In April, Zee sued JioStar in a Delhi court for unauthorized use of their copyrighted music.
According to court documents examined by Reuters, JioStar filed a petition with a legal mediation committee on May 4 challenging Zee’s broadcast of select Bollywood movies last year, despite the fact that their rights were at the time vested in the Reliance-led firm.
JioStar claims Zee aired 12 separate films around 20 times, including blockbusters starring prominent Bollywood actors such as Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan.
Zee “is a habitual infringer,” JioStar claimed in its 120-page plea, accusing Zee of continuing to “engage in the unauthorised broadcast and exploitation of the films.”
The submission was not previously publicized.
The application was filed with the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee, which serves as a dispute resolution process aiming at amicable settlements. If the dispute remains unresolved, JioStar may take the case to court.
According to the documents, Zee has been invited to come before the committee on May 25, and failure to do so will be regarded a refusal to participate in the mediation.
Following the Reuters narrative about Zee shares fell 3.4% in Mumbai trading.
JioStar, founded by Reliance and Disney’s $8.5 billion merger of Indian media holdings in 2024, and Zee declined to comment.
Major participants, numerous legal notices
JioStar and Zee reach hundreds of millions of people through a variety of TV channels and a streaming platform, respectively. According to Reliance, JioStar has a 34.2% market share in India’s TV market, whereas Zee claims an 18% share, which is a four-year high.
In the music action filed in April, Zee seeks $3 million from JioStar for allegedly utilizing its music at least 50 times after certain license agreements expired.
According to two sources with direct information, JioStar is likely to demand up to 250 million rupees ($2.61 million) for claimed infringement of its rights to Bollywood films, though the exact amount has yet to be determined.
The Bollywood film dispute advanced to the court committee level after the two sides exchanged more than a dozen legal notifications and letters beginning in February 2025, according to papers.
The films concerned include runaway hits such as Amitabh Bachchan’s 1975 feature Deewaar (Wall) and Tridev (Trinity). Jio claimed to own the rights to these films, and Zee allegedly broadcast them without authorization.
Zee stated that the broadcasts were “inadvertent and unintentional” and that it would take prudence, but it declined to accept accountability for the damages sought by Reliance.
JioStar has also accused Zee of unlawful airing of Aamir Khan’s film Dangal (Wrestling Bout). The 2016 film, based on a real-life Indian wrestler, was a huge Bollywood hit and received numerous awards.
Zee denied any wrongdoing, claiming it obtained clearance from the production house to air the film.