The legal battle between media giants JioStar and Zee Entertainment Enterprises appears to be intensifying. In accordance with an exclusive Reuters report, JioStar has initiated legal proceedings against Zee Entertainment over the alleged unauthorised broadcast of several Bollywood movies whose rights were reportedly held by the Reliance-Disney backed company.
JioStar seeks Rs 250 million in alleged Bollywood film rights dispute with Zee Entertainment: Report
As per the report, JioStar filed a plea on May 4 before the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee, which functions as a mediation and dispute resolution body aimed toward facilitating amicable settlements between parties. The matter is now scheduled for hearing on May 25, with Zee being asked to seem before the committee. The documents reportedly state that failure to seem might be treated as refusal to take part in the mediation process.
In its reported 120-page plea, JioStar has accused Zee of broadcasting 12 distinct Bollywood movies around 20 times without authorisation. The movies allegedly include titles featuring superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. The Reliance-led company reportedly described Zee as a “habitual infringer” and alleged that the broadcaster continued to “engage within the unauthorised broadcast and exploitation of the movies”.
The Reuters report further stated that the dispute over these film rights dates back to exchanges of greater than a dozen legal notices and letters between the 2 firms since February 2025. Sources accustomed to the matter reportedly claimed that JioStar may seek damages exceeding Rs 250 million, which is roughly $2.61 million, although the ultimate compensation amount has not yet been confirmed.
Among the many movies reportedly mentioned within the plea are the 1975 classic Deewaar starring Amitabh Bachchan, in addition to Tridev. JioStar has claimed it owns the rights to those movies and alleged that Zee aired them without permission.
Zee, nevertheless, reportedly responded by stating that the broadcasts were “inadvertent and unintentional”. The corporate also said it could exercise caution moving forward, while denying liability for the damages being sought.
This latest development comes at a time when the 2 entertainment giants are already involved in multiple legal disputes. The report noted that each firms are currently engaged in a separate $1 billion arbitration battle in London linked to the collapse of a cricket licensing agreement in 2024.
In one other ongoing dispute, Zee Entertainment reportedly filed a lawsuit against JioStar in April 2026 over alleged unauthorised use of copyrighted music. In that case, Zee is reportedly looking for damages of $3 million, alleging that JioStar used its music content at the least 50 times after licensing agreements had expired.
JioStar was formed following the $8.5 billion merger of Reliance Industries and Disney’s Indian media assets in 2024. The corporate currently stays the biggest player in India’s estimated $30 billion media and entertainment market. In accordance with Reliance, JioStar commands a 34.2 per cent share of the Indian television market, while Zee claims its own market share has reached a four-year high of 18 per cent.
Neither JioStar nor Zee Entertainment officially commented on the matter.
Also Read: After Nykaa, Zee files Rs 25 crores lawsuit against JioStar; alleges unauthorised music usage
BOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for contemporary Bollywood News, Recent Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, Recent Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2026 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.